The Natural History Museum has released a preview of winning images from the 62nd Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, ahead of its London exhibition opening in October. The photographs depict wildlife across varied settings, from Arctic sea ice to Tokyo streets and a circus ring in Qatar, highlighting both natural behaviour and human impacts on animals.

The 100 winners were chosen anonymously from a record 65,403 entries by an international panel assessing creativity, originality, technical quality and storytelling. Featured images include a polar bear watching a seal’s breathing hole, an orca supporting a dead calf, and a swift silhouetted against an aircraft near Heathrow; the full exhibition runs at the South Kensington museum from 16 October to 11 July 2027.