Elephant carrying dead calf wins Wildlife Photographer award

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 23:44 · Archive

A photograph of an elephant carrying a dead calf in Namibia has won the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

Italian photographer Federico Veronesi has won the 62nd Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition with a photograph of a female elephant carrying a dead calf in the Huab River Valley in Namibia. The image shows the calf wedged between the elephant's tusk and trunk. The competition received a record-breaking 65,403 entries from 121 countries and territories.

Kathy Moran, chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year jury, praised the winning photograph. She said: "Emotionally it's a gut punch, heartbreakingly poignant. Intellectually it's proof that animals have cognition." The photograph depicts behaviour around death that has been observed in both African and Asian elephants. Some researchers suggest these behaviours could indicate an elephant's journey to understanding death, while others interpret them as possible displays of grief.

The Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award was won by Oscar Whitfield, a 14-year-old British photographer living in Zimbabwe, for a black and white photograph of a dung beetle pushing a ball of dung. Jury member Jasper Doest described the image as "exceptionally well done", noting that photographing such a small, constantly moving subject was challenging. The winning photographs will be displayed in an exhibition at the Natural History Museum, London, from 16 October 2026 until July 2027.

How it is being reported

• Pictured: Winning entries for Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026Striking images including an urban coyote and an elephant carrying a dead calf are among this year's winners.BBC Science · 14 Oct, 00:26
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year named - see the 19 winning imagesA black and white shot of a dung beetle, taken by a 14 year old Brit, scooped the top prize for Young Photographer of the YearThe Mirror · 13 Oct, 23:51
• 'Heartbreakingly poignant' shot of elephant with dead calf scoops Wildlife Photographer of the Year awardOther winning images include fluorescent fungi and a Sisyphus-like dung beetleThe Independent · 13 Oct, 23:30
• See the ‘heartbreakingly poignant’ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 winning photoThe winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition have been revealed, and the top prize goes to a 'heartbreakingly poignant' photo of elephant carrying a dead calf in Namibia, Africa.TechRadar · 13 Oct, 23:30

In this story: Federico Veronesi · Oscar Whitfield · Namibia · Natural History Museum, London · Zimbabwe

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