Elephant photo wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026

Italian wildlife photographer Federico Veronesi has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition with a black-and-white photograph titled The Aftermath, Euronews, BBC News, the Daily Mail, and The Guardian reported. The image depicts a female elephant carrying a deceased calf wedged between her tusk and trunk in Namibia. [1][3][4][5]

According to Euronews and BBC News, Veronesi took the picture while tracking elephants in the Huab River Valley in Namibia. He followed a trail of drag marks across the sand of a dry riverbed before locating the family of elephants. He initially assumed the female carrying the calf was its mother, BBC News reported. [1][3][4]

The Daily Mail reported that the image was chosen from a record total of 65,403 entries submitted from 121 countries and territories. Winning photographs across categories such as mammal behaviour, urban wildlife, underwater scenes, and photojournalism are being showcased, according to The Guardian. [4][5]

Euronews and the Daily Mail both noted that similar grief-like behaviours have been documented in elephants before. These actions include vocalising, standing guard over deceased herd members, and handling or inspecting bones. [1][4]