The most prestigious prize in wildlife photography has gone to an image of grief. Italian photographer Federico Veronesi received the top honour of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 for 'The Aftermath', a black-and-white portrait of a female elephant carrying her deceased calf, its leg wedged between her trunk and tusk. Colossal reported the winners on 15 October 2026.

Veronesi had been tracking elephants in Namibia's Huab River Valley when he noticed unusual drag marks in the earth. He followed the family until the adult female emerged with the calf. Researchers quoted by the organisers note that death-related behaviours in elephants, from guarding the dead to carrying the deceased, may indicate a journey toward understanding death, or displays of grief. The jury praised the image as a rare insight into animal behaviour, achieved through timing and persistence.

This year's competition drew 65,403 entries from photographers in 121 countries, the largest turnout in the contest's 62-year history. Other winners include Francisco Negroni's 'Warning Sign', showing a dead puma on a fence in Argentine Patagonia, which took the photojournalism category; Kutub Uddin's 'Tiny Dancers', a portfolio of slime moulds; Loren Elliott's study of San Francisco's coyotes; and Amelie Davis's 'Flight of the Bumblebee', winner of the 10-and-under category.

Dr Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, which develops and produces the competition, said the winning photographs demonstrate the extraordinary power of wildlife photography to help people see nature differently. The 100 top images go on view at the Natural History Museum in London from 16 October 2026 through 11 July 2027.