Elephant carrying dead calf wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
Federico Veronesi's image of a grieving elephant in Namibia took the top prize at the 62nd Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards.
KEY POINTS
- Federico Veronesi won the overall top prize at the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards
- His winning photo shows a female elephant carrying a dead calf in Namibia
- The image won the Behaviour: Mammals category
- More than 65,000 photographs were submitted across 20 categories
- Winning images will be exhibited at the Natural History Museum in London from 16 October 2026
Federico Veronesi of Italy won the top prize at the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards. His photograph shows a female elephant carrying a deceased calf in Namibia's Huab River Valley.
The image, titled "The Aftermath," won the Behaviour: Mammals category. Veronesi captured the moment using a Nikon Z8 camera with a 400mm f/2.8 lens.
“Emotionally it’s a gut punch, heartbreakingly poignant. Intellectually it’s proof that animals have cognition. This photograph says it all!”
Kathy Moran, chair of the competition jury, described the photograph as emotionally powerful and proof of animal cognition. She said the image speaks for itself.
More than 65,000 photographs were submitted this year. Prizes were awarded across 20 categories, including awards for young photographers.
Winning photographs will be showcased at the Natural History Museum in London starting 16 October 2026.
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