An Italian photographer has clinched the top prize in this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition with a moving image of a mother elephant carrying her deceased calf. Federico Veronesi’s winning shot, titled “The Aftermath,” was taken in Namibia’s Huab River Valley while he was observing elephants and noticed a distressing scene of a female elephant struggling with her calf’s remains.
Kathy Moran, the chair of the judging panel, praised the photograph for its emotional impact and intellectual significance, highlighting the insight into animal cognition it provides. Alongside claiming the grand prize, Veronesi’s photo also topped the Behavior: Mammals category.
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest, organized by the Natural History Museum in London, aims to shed light on nature’s narratives and raise awareness about pressing environmental issues. This edition of the annual event saw a record number of entries from 121 countries and territories, totaling 65,403 submissions.
In addition to the main award, the competition also recognizes outstanding young photographers. This year, the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year accolade went to Oscar Whitfield, a British photographer with roots in Zimbabwe, for his captivating image of a dung beetle at work.
While no Canadians secured category wins, Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, a Canadian citizen residing in Germany, received the Rising Star Award for his striking photo capturing a robber fly preying on a flesh fly. The image offers a glimpse into the intricate details of predator-prey dynamics in nature.
The winning photographs, including those by category victors such as Amelie Davis, Anton Sorokin, Agorastos Papatsanis, and James Lewin, will be showcased at various exhibitions worldwide, with displays scheduled at prominent institutions like the Royal Ontario Museum and the Royal B.C. Museum. The award-winning photos capture the beauty and complexity of wildlife in diverse natural settings, resonating with audiences globally.