Italian photographer Federico Veronesi has been awarded the grand title of the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his striking, poignant black-and-white image capturing a female elephant carrying her deceased calf. Titled "The Aftermath," the winning portrait provides a rare and deeply emotional window into animal behaviors that researchers and scientists are still working to fully comprehend. The prestigious award not only highlights Veronesi’s exceptional patience, persistence, and timing in the field, but also draws global attention to the intricate emotional and social lives of wildlife.
The journey to capturing this powerful image began in the rugged terrain of the Huab River Valley in Namibia. Veronesi had been tracking a local population of desert-adapted elephants for days when he noticed unusual, heavy drag marks etched into the earth. Following the signs, he eventually caught up with the elephant family. As the herd moved through the landscape, an adult female emerged into view with the distinct, heartbreaking sight of the calf’s leg wedged firmly between her trunk and her tusk.
Behaviors centering around death and mourning have long fascinated biologists who study pachyderms. Such actions have been documented in both Asian and African elephants and can manifest in a variety of complex ways. These include deep vocalizations, vigilantly guarding the deceased, closely inspecting and handling skeletal remains, and, as Veronesi witnessed firsthand, physically carrying the dead body across distances.
While the exact psychological motivations behind these actions remain a subject of ongoing scientific debate, researchers offer varying interpretations. Some experts suggest that these profound behaviors could indicate an elephant’s gradual and complex journey toward understanding mortality. Others interpret these solemn actions as explicit, powerful displays of grief, demonstrating a depth of social and emotional intelligence that bridges the gap between human and animal experiences.
Veronesi’s photograph triumphed in both the general competition and the highly competitive Behaviour: Mammals category, standing out among a record-breaking number of entries. The 62-year history of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition reached a historic milestone this year, receiving a staggering 65,403 submissions from photographers hailing from 121 countries. The competition spans a diverse array of categories, ranging from photojournalism and wetlands to plants and fungi, animal behavior, specialized portfolios, and dedicated youth age groups.
Dr. Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, praised the global pool of talent and the profound message conveyed by the winning images. "This year’s winning photographs demonstrate the extraordinary power of wildlife photography to help us see nature differently," Dr. Gurr said. "Together they remind us that every species plays a role in the complex web of life, and why understanding and protecting the natural world has never been more important."
The grand-title image is joined by a diverse and striking collection of category winners that showcase the breathtaking beauty, fragility, and resilience of the natural world. Among them is Francisco Negroni of Chile, who captured the disturbing photojournalism winner titled "Warning Sign." Negroni’s frame features a dead puma displayed atop a fence against the rugged, windswept backdrop of Argentine Patagonia, shedding light on human-wildlife conflict and conservation challenges in South America.
In the portfolio categories, Kutub Uddin of Bangladesh and the United Kingdom earned top honors for "Tiny Dancers," a component of the "Secret Worlds" portfolio. Uddin’s macro photography reveals the surreal world of elegant slime molds, focusing on fine threads known as capillitium that emerge on round, yellow-green bodies to help disperse reproductive spores. Meanwhile, Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas of Germany secured the Rising Star Award in the "Hidden Depths" portfolio for "Afternoon Snack," an intricate close-up of a robber fly impaling a flesh fly with its needlelike mouthparts.
Other category victors captured the immense scale and intimate moments of wildlife across the globe. James Lewin of the United Kingdom won the Animals in their Environment category with "The Meeting Place," a black-and-white photograph documenting a young bull elephant spraying a group of zebra as they congregate near a watering hole in the Kenyan Chyulu Hills. In the Plants and Fungi category, Agorastos Papatsanis of Greece utilized ultraviolet light to reveal the glowing yellow stems of bonnet mushrooms sprouting from a decaying log in "Shedding Light."
Animal behavior was highlighted from multiple angles, including Anton Sorokin’s win in the Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles category. Sorokin’s "Protective Pose" captures a California newt carefully clasping underwater vegetation that already holds another newt’s egg clutch while laying its own eggs. In the Wetlands: The Bigger Picture category, Alex Visbal of Colombia won with "The Great Divide," an aerial composition showing how a single engineered line starkly reshapes and fragments an entire wetland ecosystem.
In the youth division, Amelie Davis of the United Kingdom captured the attention of the judges in the 10 and Under category with her precise portrait of a bee coming in for a soft landing on a flower in Surrey, England. Loren Elliott of the United States claimed the Photojournalist Story Award for "On the Outskirts," part of the "Wily Coyotes of San Francisco" portfolio, which documents a coyote padding along a trail in Bernal Heights Park with the sprawling urban skyline and bay of San Francisco in the background.
The complete collection of the top 100 images from this year’s competition will be made available to the public beginning tomorrow, October 16, at the Natural History Museum in London. The exhibition will run through July 11, 2027, offering visitors an up-close look at the remarkable stories captured by photographers around the globe.
