The Animals in their Environment category went to James Lewin, who captured this image of a young bull elephant spraying zebras in Kenya. James Lewin/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Kutub Uddin won the Portfolio Award for work including this image of slime molds. Kutub Uddin/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Tony Wu won the Under Water category with this photo of Abbott’s moray eels engaged in their mating ritual. Tony Wu/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
"Flight of the Bumblebee" was taken by Amelie Davis, who won the 10 Years and Under category. Amelie Davis/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
"The Aftermath" by Federico Veronesi was named the overall winner of this year's competition, showing a female elephant carrying a dead calf. Federico Veronesi/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
A heartbreaking image of an elephant carrying a dead calf has been named the overall winner of the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.The image, named “The Aftermath,” was taken by Italian photographer Federico Veronesi. It shows a female elephant carrying the calf in Namibia, according to a statement from the Natural History Museum, which organizes the competition, on Tuesday.“This photograph works on so many levels. Emotionally it’s a gut punch, heartbreakingly poignant. Intellectually it’s proof that animals have cognition,” said Kathy Moran, chair of the competition’s jury, in the statement.
