Professional photographer Federico Veronesi won Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his moving image.
Credit: Federico Veronesi/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
In the Huab River Valley of Namibia, a female elephant brings the body of a departed calf. It’s a terrible scene that provides an uncommon peek at the complex social habits of animals. Professional photographer Federico Veronesi recorded the minute and his striking image took leading honors at 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards.
“This picture deals with numerous levels. Mentally it’s a gut punch, heartbreakingly poignant,”Kathy Moran, Chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Jury, stated.”Intellectually it’s evidence that animals have cognition. This photo states everything!”
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
Winner, Behaviour: Mammals
Federico was tracking elephants when he stumbled upon an uncommon pattern of drag marks in the sand of a dry riverbed. The source ended up being clear when he overtook a household group. A female emerged with the calf, its leg wedged in between her tusk and trunk.
Behaviours centring on death have actually been observed in both Asian and African elephants, consisting of vocalisations, securing the dead, examining and managing bones, and bring the deceased. Some scientists recommend these behaviours might suggest an elephant’s journey to comprehending death, while others translate these actions as possible screens of sorrow.
Credit: Federico Veronesi/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
Professional photographers from worldwide sent more than 65,000 pictures for factor to consider this year. Prizes were granted throughout 20 classifications, consisting of honors for young professional photographers.
Winners throughout classifications:
- Ten years and Under: Amelie Davis (UK)
- 11– 14 Years: Oscar Whitfield (UK/Zimbabwe)
- 15– 17 Years: Konrad Gräeter (Germany)
- Animals in their Environment: James Lewin (UK)
- Animal Portraits: Aaron Sanders (UK)
- Behaviour: Birds– Isak Pretorius (South Africa)
- Behaviour: Mammals– Federico Veronesi (Italy)
- Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles– Anton Sorokin (USA)
- Behaviour: Invertebrates– Sitaram Raul (India)
- Oceans: The Bigger Picture– Alex Lindbloom (USA)
- Plants and Fungi: Agorastos Papatsanis (Greece)
- Natural Artistry: Michał Michalski (Poland)
- Undersea: Tony Wu (Japan/USA)
- Urban Wildlife: Seth Forestson (USA)
- Wetlands: The Bigger Picture– Alex Visbal (Colombia)
- Photojournalism: Francisco Negroni (Chile)
- Photojournalist Story Award: Loren Elliott (USA)
- Increasing Star Award: Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas (Germany)
- Portfolio Award: Kutub Uddin (Bangladesh/UK)
- Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Federico Veronesi (Italy)
Winner, Rising Star Award
When Alexis identified this burglar fly, it had actually currently impaled the flesh fly with its needlelike mouthparts. The bubbles forming in the victim’s eyes suggest that the burglar fly has actually injected gastrointestinal enzymes that melt its internal tissues before they are drawn out.
Credit: Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
Winner, Photojournalist Story Award
A coyote pads along a path in Bernal Heights Park, neglecting the city and bay of San Francisco. This person belongs to a resident pack that Loren observed searching rodents in the park, which is likewise popular with individuals and pet dogs.
Credit: Loren Elliott/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 LOREN ELLIOTT
Winner, Urban Wildlife
The difficulty wasn’t discovering these lizards, however capturing them in action, as they invest the majority of the day indulging in the sun. When Seth found this one, he decreased himself down onto the mud to frame this city dragon versus the Bangkok horizon.
Typical water screens have actually effectively adjusted to living within cities throughout South and Southeast Asia. They will take whatever food source is offered, such as the abundant products of catfish and koi in the lakes of Bangkok’s Lumphini Park.
Credit: Seth Forestson/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
Winner, Photojournalism
Connected to the fence and provided as a searching prize, this screen was one Francisco had actually ‘never ever seen or photographed before ‘. In 2025, Santa Cruz prohibited the searching of pumas, however prohibited persecution continues.
Animals predation is among the significant reasons for human– puma dispute, and it’s recommended that confining sheep during the night and utilizing watchdog can substantially decrease the loss of animals without turning to searching. In southern Chile, some owners have actually even deserted sheep farming in favour of puma tourist.
Credit: Francisco Negroni/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 Francisco Negroni
Winner, Behaviour: Birds
Checking out the overload in a narrow canoe with a guide, Isak felt remarkably fortunate to see not one however 2 evasive shoebills. The birds took out greenery, dropped it and after that duplicated the procedure a number of times. It’s most likely this is a reproducing set event nesting product.
Frequently called the shoebill stork, these big birds are more carefully associated to pelicans, herons and ibises. Less than 5,300 fully grown shoebills make it through throughout their whole variety and their numbers are reducing.
Credit: Isak Pretorius/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is established and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. The winning images will be on display screen at the museum till July 11, 2027.
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