Pictured: Winning entries for Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
Federico Veronesi has been named Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 for an image of a female elephant carrying a dead calf in Namibia. The photograph draws attention to the complexity of elephant behaviour and emotions, while the encounter also showed how appearances can mislead: researchers said the elephant was not necessarily the calf’s mother.
Veronesi followed drag marks in a dry riverbed in the Huab River Valley to find the elephant, which had previously been seen carrying other females’ dead calves. The article also features winning images across the competition, including a dung beetle photographed by young winner Oscar Whitfield and a common octopus spotted off south-west England, where sightings have risen as spring sea temperatures increase. The annual exhibition opens at London’s Natural History Museum on 16 October 2026.
- Federico Veronesi wins with an image of an elephant carrying a dead calf.
- Researchers say the elephant may have carried calves that were not her own.
- The exhibition opens at the Natural History Museum on 16 October.
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Wildlife Photographer of the Year is an annual photography competition run by London’s Natural History Museum. It recognises images of animals and the natural world, with awards for adult and young photographers.
Elephants live in social groups and show a range of behaviours around their dead, though what a particular animal is feeling can be difficult to know. Researchers said the elephant in the featured photograph had also carried other females’ dead calves, so it was not clear whether she was the calf’s mother.
The competition’s images can also draw attention to wildlife closer to home, including common octopuses off south-west England. Sightings there have increased as spring sea temperatures rise.