Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 winners revealed
Federico Veronesi's photograph 'The Aftermath' has been named the overall winner of the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The exhibition featuring this and other winning images will open at the Natural History Museum in London on October 16.
Why it matters
This competition serves as a major platform for global wildlife photography and public engagement with natural history.
An extraordinary image of an elephant carrying a deceased calf has been announced as the overall winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition .
Titled The Aftermath , the powerful photo was taken by Italian photographer Federico Veronesi. Veronesi was tracking elephant marks in Namibia’s Huab River Valley when he came across an unusual pattern of drag marks in the sand of a dry riverbed. When he caught up with the group, its source quickly became clear: the female elephant emerged carrying the calf, its leg wedged between her tusk and trunk.
“This photograph works on so many levels,” says Kathy Moran, chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year jury. “Emotionally it’s a gut punch, heartbreakingly poignant. Intellectually it’s proof that animals have cognition. This photograph says it all!”
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