An Italian photographer’s captivating image of a mother elephant cradling her lifeless calf has clinched the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for this year. Federico Veronesi, the photographer, titled his winning shot “The Aftermath,” which he took while observing elephants in Namibia’s Huab River Valley. Veronesi noticed peculiar marks in the dry riverbed sand, leading him to a heartbreaking scene of a female elephant with her calf’s leg caught between her tusk and trunk.
Kathy Moran, head of the jury for the 2026 competition, praised the photo for its emotional depth and intellectual significance, stating that it resonates on multiple levels. Apart from claiming the top prize, the photograph also triumphed in the Behavior: Mammals category.
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest is organized by the UK’s Natural History Museum to tell nature’s tales and shed light on pressing environmental issues. This year’s 62nd edition attracted a record 65,403 entries from 121 nations and territories.
Oscar Whitfield, a young British photographer who won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award, captured a compelling shot of a dung beetle rolling its precious cargo. The image, taken from ground level, won in the 11 to 14 age group.
Although no Canadians clinched a category win this year, Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, a Canadian citizen residing in Germany, received the Rising Star Award. His winning photo, titled “Afternoon Snack,” showcases a robber fly preying on a flesh fly, capturing a fascinating moment in nature’s cycle.
The exhibition also features four “highly commended” Canadian photographs, including contributions from Shane Gross, a photographer from British Columbia and the 2024 competition winner. The exhibition will be displayed at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto from November 7, 2026, to February 28, 2027, and at the Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria from February 12, 2027, to April 18, 2027. The event opens at the Natural History Museum in London this Friday.
In addition to the winners, other notable category champions include Amelie Davis from the UK, Anton Sorokin from the US, Agorastos Papatsanis from Greece, and James Lewin from Kenya, each celebrated for their unique perspectives on nature captured through their lenses.