Wait, They Actually Awarded These Cool Nature Shots?! (19 Wild Pics)

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 Winner in the Behaviour: Mammals Category Location: Huab River Valley, Damaraland, Namibia Description: "Federico was tracking elephants when he came across an unusual pattern of drag marks in the sand of a dry riverbed. The source became clear when he caught up with a family group. A female emerged with the calf, its leg wedged between her tusk and trunk. Behaviors centering on death have been observed in both Asian and African elephants, including vocalizations, guarding the dead, inspecting and handling bones, and carrying the deceased. Some researchers suggest these behaviors could indicate an elephant’s journey to understanding death, while others interpret these actions as possible displays of grief." Technical details: Nikon Z8 + 400mm f2.8 lens; 1/1000 at f2.8; ISO 72

Winner in the Animals in their Environment Category Location: ol Donyo Lodge, Chyulu Hills National Park, Makueni County, Kenya Description: "While there was no shortage of subjects and action around this waterhole, James had to deal with the harsh, unforgiving light. He chose to soften the light using a camera converted to infrared, creating this dream-like scene. Waterholes can act as vital lifelines during severe droughts. Larger animals, such as elephants, have priority over others for access to waterholes. Herbivores spend more time at these drinking spots when elephants are present, possibly because their size deters predators, although competition for access to water may also prolong herbivores’ stay." Technical details: Nikon Z 7II + 28-75mm f2.8 lens; 1/800 at f7.1 (+1 e/v); ISO 800; camera converted to infrared

Winner in the Wetlands: The Bigger Picture Category Location: Stansbury Bay, Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA Description: "The distinctive pink color on the left is caused by bright pink microbes that thrive in extremely saline water, which happens when an area is cut off from a supply of fresh water. The ecology of the lake is in sharp decline due to industrial use, upstream diversions and climate change. Since this image was taken, the State of Utah has brought the area under conservation management." Technical details: Canon EOS R5 Mark II + 70-200mm f2.8 lens; 1/640 at f3.2 (-0.67 e/v); ISO 1250

Winner in the Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles Category Location: Contra Costa County, California, USA Description: "Anton hadn’t seen this pose before, despite documenting newt behavior each winter. The pond was too dirty to swim, so Anton waded along the edge, carefully dipping his camera and lighting beneath the surface to record this remarkable view of parental care. California newts interlock their back feet to protect the clutch, which are vulnerable to predation by other newts. They will stay like this until the gelatinous mass around the eggs has swollen too large to be eaten and has solidified onto the stem." Technical details: Nikon D850 + 8-15mm fisheye lens; 1/100 at f18; ISO 400; Nauticam housing; Seacam 60D strobes

Winner, Portfolio Award Location: West Sussex, England, UK Description: "Fine threads, known as capillitium, emerge on the round, yellow-green bodies, which will eventually help disperse reproductive spores. Kutub says they appear like ‘tiny clusters or unusual textures on the wood, often appearing as minute pins, spheres or dust-like groupings.’" Portfolio title: "Secret Worlds" Portfolio Description: "Kutub Uddin (Bangladesh/UK) reveals a magical and often surreal world of slime moulds that can barely be seen with the naked eye. Kutub became interested in slime moulds in 2024, and as a macro photographer now devotes much of his time to revealing this tiny hidden world. He loves exploring his local woodlands in southeast England, where fallen logs and damp forest floors provide opportunities for discovering these fascinating organisms. Slime molds occur throughout the world, mostly growing on dead wood or leaf litter while feeding on other micro-organisms. The structures depicted in this portfolio are just one to two millimeters high (less than 1/12 of an inch)."

Winner in the Behavious: Invertebrates Category Location: Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India Description: "Sitaram Raul (India) encounters a scorpion burrowing into one of the shifting dunes of the Thar Desert. Exploring the dunes at night near the village of Sam, Sitaram saw many scorpions searching for prey. But as sunrise approached, they started burrowing to avoid the intense heat. Sitaram timed the exposure so that the excavated sand was suspended in mid-air. Just one known species of Buthacus scorpion is from India. It uses its pincers to dig into large piles of sand. Stiff, elongated bristles or ‘sand combs’ are used like snowshoes to stop it from sinking into the dunes." Technical details: Nikon D750 + 105mm macro lens; 1/250 at f14; ISO 125; Godox flash

Winner in the Rising Star Category with her portfolio, titled "Hidden Depths" Location: Germany Description: "When Alexis spotted this robber fly, it had already impaled the flesh fly with its needlelike mouthparts. The bubbles forming in the victim’s eyes indicate that the robber fly has injected digestive enzymes that liquefy its internal tissues before they are sucked out." Technical details: Fujifilm X-H2 + Laowa 65mm f2.8 macro lens; 1/200 at f5.6; ISO 200; Godox V860III flash + Cygnustech diffuser; focus stack of 24 images

Winner in the 10 Years and Under Category Location: Surrey, England, UK Description: "Amelie had been taking photographs of bees for several months. On this August afternoon the garden was ‘teeming with bees’. Without her camera, Amelie borrowed her dad’s smartphone and was able to record the delicate detail of a single wingbeat. Bees perceive plants and flowers in many ways. Distinguishing one color for nectar and another for pollen helps them make rapid decisions when foraging. Their vision is tuned to blue, green and ultraviolet wavelengths, so they can see markings that are invisible to us." Technical details: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max + 13mm built-in ultrawide lens; 1/895 at f2.2; ISO 40

Winner in the 15-17 Years Category Location: Baden-Württemberg, Germany Description: "Konrad had to crouch down low on the steep slope of the vineyard and point his camera through a gap in the foliage to frame the blackbird within its landscape. Blackbirds can be heard singing at different times of day, but their songs have the most complex compositions at dawn. During the spring breeding season, the males sing from elevated vantage points to proclaim their territory and to attract a mate. Females respond with a softer sound, known as a subsong, during courtship." Technical details: Fujifilm X-H2S + 150-600mm f5.6-8 lens; 1/800 at f8; ISO 400

Winner in the Natural Artistry Category Location: Miłochowice, Lower Silesian Township, Poland Description: "Michał was in a field of unharvested sunflowers that had attracted mixed flocks of birds, especially goldfinches and bramblings. As they took to the sky, startled by a sparrowhawk, Michał blurred the movement against a backdrop of leafless birches. There is evidence that flocks containing multiple species forage more efficiently, partly because each brings different skills to the group. With more eyes on the lookout for predators, individuals can also afford to devote more time to feeding." Technical details: Nikon D500 + 500mm f5.6 lens; 1/30 at f8; ISO 250

Winner of the Photojournalist Story Award (as part of portfolio titled "Wily Coyotes of San Francisco") Location: San Francisco, California, USA Description: "A coyote pads along a trail in Bernal Heights Park, overlooking the city and bay of San Francisco. This individual is part of a resident pack that Loren observed hunting rodents in the park, which is also popular with people and dogs." Technical details: Sony α9 II + 20mm f1.8 lens; 1/800 at f5.6; ISO 250; 2x Pocket Wizard Plus IIIe radio triggers Portfolio description: "Around 100 of these urban-adapted wild canines live alongside more than 800,000 human inhabitants, and attitudes towards them are mixed. While coyotes sometimes prey on domestic animals, they also bring benefits such as controlling disease-carrying rodents. In this portfolio, Loren invites us to reconsider our perceptions of these wild animals and their place in urban environments, living alongside humans."

Winner in the Urban Wildlife Category Location: Lumphini Park, Bangkok, Thailand Description: "Seth Forestson (UK) spots a common water monitor carrying its fish supper in a Bangkok park. The challenge wasn’t finding these lizards, but catching them in action, as they spend most of the day basking in the sun. When Seth spotted this one, he lowered himself down onto the mud to frame this city dragon against the Bangkok skyline. Common water monitors have successfully adapted to living within cities across South and Southeast Asia. They will take whatever food source is available, such as the plentiful supplies of catfish and koi in the lakes of Bangkok’s Lumphini Park." Technical details: Google Pixel 7 Pro smartphone; 1/291 at f1.9; ISO 47

Winner in the Under Water Category Location: Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan Description: "Tony Wu (USA/Japan) provides a first-time glimpse into the mating ritual of Abbott’s moray eels. Tony has been working with biologists to address a knowledge gap in the social behavior of this eel species. Guided only by a dim red-light source to minimize disturbance, and using a customized fisheye camera lens, he has studied this male since 2024 as it visits females that dwell in crevices on the reef. This is likely the first time Abbott’s moray eel courtship and spawning have been documented, and the observations from Tony’s work with biologists are feeding into published scientific studies." Technical details: Sony α1 + customized Nikon fisheye 13mm f2.8 lens; 1/320 at f11; ISO 500; 2x Backscatter Hybrid HF-1 strobes

Winner in the Animal Portraits Category Location: Porthkerris Beach, Cornwall, England, UK Description: "Aaron had been diving off Porthkerris Beach when he noticed the footprints of octopus suckers through a thin blade of kelp, and a single eye slowly emerging. 'We remained perfectly still, watching one another with a seemingly shared curiosity,' says Aaron. In recent years in the waters off southwest England, there has been a dramatic increase in sightings of common octopuses, a species more frequently found in warmer Mediterranean waters. The influx or ‘bloom’ of these cephalopods has been linked to above-average springtime sea temperatures." Technical details: Nikon Z8 + 24-50mm f4-6.3 lens + Nauticam WWL-C wet lens; 1/40 at f7.1; ISO 125; Inon Z-240 and Z-330 underwater strobes

Winner in the Oceans: The Bigger Picture Category Location: Off Cenderawasih Bay, Papua, Indonesia Description: "Alex started searching for sharks around dawn when the nets were still in the water. Initially lacking natural light for his drone’s camera, he found these sharks illuminated by the bagan’s bright lights. Local fishing communities are using the predictable occurrence of whale sharks at bagans to attract tourists. Although contact with bagans can cause some minor injuries to whale sharks, this isn’t a major cause of mortality. The species’ significant decline in the Indo-Pacific region over the past 75 years is primarily driven by ship strikes, entanglements with fishing gear and illegal fishing." Technical details: DJI Air 3 + 24mm f1.7 lens; 1/60 at f1.7; ISO 3200

Winner in the Photojournalism Category Location: Route 40, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina Description: "Tied to the fence and presented as a hunting trophy, this display was one Francisco had ‘never witnessed or photographed before’. In 2025, Santa Cruz banned the hunting of pumas, but illegal persecution continues. Livestock predation is one of the major causes of human–puma conflict, and it’s suggested that enclosing sheep at night and using guard dogs can significantly reduce the loss of livestock without resorting to hunting. In southern Chile, some owners have even abandoned sheep farming in favor of puma tourism." Technical details: Canon EOS R5 + 70-200mm f2.8 lens; 1/640 at f3.2; ISO 100