'Heartbreakingly poignant' shot of elephant with dead calf scoops Wildlife Photographer of the Year award

'Heartbreakingly poignant' shot of elephant with dead calf scoops Wildlife Photographer of the Year award Other winning images include fluorescent fungi and a Sisyphus-like dung beetle - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in A “heartbreakingly poignant” image of a female elephant carrying a dead calf has been named the winner of this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The picture was taken by Italian photographer Federico Veronesi, who captured it after catching up with a family group of elephants in the Huab River Valley in Namibia. It was selected from a record-breaking 65,403 entries submitted to the annual contest from 121 countries and territories. The photograph shows the calf wedged between the elephant's tusk and trunk. It depicts behaviour around death that has been observed in both African and Asian elephants, which experts suggest could indicate elephants' journeys to understanding death or possible displays of grief. Kathy Moran, chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year jury, said the winning photograph “says it all”. “This photograph works on so many levels,” she said. “Emotionally it’s a gut punch, heartbreakingly poignant. Intellectually it’s proof that animals have cognition.” The Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition was won by Oscar Whitfield, a young British photographer living in Zimbabwe, who was 14 when he took the picture. His black and white shot, of a dung beetle pushing a ball of dung, also scooped the top prize in the young contest. Jasper Doest, a jury member for the 62nd Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, said the image was “exceptionally well done”. He added: "Photographing such a small, constantly moving subject is challenging, yet the image feels so intentional. “The composition reveals an entire story and by doing so the photograph quietly reveals how life cycles depend on what we often overlook or dismiss.” The competition is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. The winning pictures, along with category winners from topics ranging from urban wildlife to animals in their environment, will feature in an exhibition at the museum before a UK and international tour. Category winners include fluorescent images of fungi in Greece. They also include a common octopus peeking out from kelp in the waters of south-west England, a pair of elusive shoebills gathering nesting material in South Africa, and a young bull elephant spraying a group of zebra at a waterhole. Among the photographers winning for a portfolio of images is Kutub Uddin, recognised for his shots of the tiny hidden world of slime moulds in his local woodlands in West Sussex, England. Young winners also included Amelie Davis, who scooped the top prize in the 10 years and under category. Her shot, taken when she was nine years old, shows a common carder bee coming into land on a flower, and was captured on her father's smartphone. Dr Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, said: "This year's winning photographs demonstrate the extraordinary power of wildlife photography to help us see nature differently. "From a deeply affecting image of an adult elephant carrying a dead calf to the determination of a dung beetle rolling a ball many times its own size, these photographs capture moments that are at once intimate, surprising and profoundly revealing. “Together they remind us that every species plays a role in the complex web of life, and why understanding and protecting the natural world has never been more important.” The exhibition at the Natural History Museum will run from 16 October 2026 to 11 July 2027. Adult tickets start at £17 and are available here. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments