An Italian photographer has been awarded the top prize in this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for his touching image of a mother elephant carrying her deceased calf. Federico Veronesi captured the photo titled “The Aftermath” while observing elephants in Namibia’s Huab River Valley, where he spotted a female elephant struggling with her calf’s remains.
Described as emotionally impactful and intellectually revealing by competition jury chair Kathy Moran, the photograph highlights the deep emotional connections and cognitive abilities of animals. In addition to winning the overall grand prize, the image also triumphed in the Behavior: Mammals category.
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, organized by the Natural History Museum in London, aims to raise awareness of environmental issues through nature-themed storytelling. This year’s edition attracted a record-breaking 65,403 submissions from 121 countries and territories.
Among the winners is young photographer Oscar Whitfield, who clinched the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year prize with his striking close-up shot of a dung beetle in action. The competition also recognized Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, a Canadian citizen living in Germany, who received the Rising Star Award for his captivating photo titled “Afternoon Snack.”
While there were no Canadian category winners this year, several Canadian photographers received honorable mentions, including Shane Gross, the 2024 competition winner. The photography exhibition will be on display at various locations, including the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria.
The competition also celebrated winners in various categories, such as Amelie Davis from the U.K., who won in the 10 years and under bracket with a mesmerizing photo of a bee in flight. Other category winners include Anton Sorokin capturing a California newt laying eggs, Agorastos Papatsanis showcasing fluorescent bonnet mushrooms, and James Lewin’s captivating image of a bull elephant spraying water on zebras in Kenya’s Chyulu Hills.
The exhibition will open at the Natural History Museum in London this week, offering visitors a chance to marvel at these breathtaking wildlife images.