An Italian photographer has won the top Wildlife Photographer of the Year award with a captivating image of a mother elephant carrying her deceased calf. Federico Veronesi captured the poignant photo titled “The Aftermath” while observing elephants in the Huab River Valley in Namibia. The image depicts an adult female elephant with a calf’s leg caught between her tusk and trunk, leaving a trail of drag marks on the dry riverbed.
Described as emotionally striking and intellectually revealing by Kathy Moran, the chair of the jury, the photograph showcases the deep emotional connection within the animal kingdom, highlighting their cognitive abilities. The winning entry not only secured the grand prize but 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 about environmental challenges through nature’s captivating narratives. This year’s 62nd edition attracted over 65,000 entries from 121 countries, recognizing exceptional talent across various age groups.
Among the winners was young British photographer Oscar Whitfield, who clinched the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award with a striking image of a dung beetle laboriously pushing a dung ball. Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, a Canadian citizen residing in Germany, received the Rising Star Award for his compelling photo capturing a robber fly preying on a flesh fly.
While Canadians did not secure category wins this year, the exhibition will feature four “highly commended” photographs by Canadian artists, including Shane Gross, the winner of the 2024 competition. The exhibition will be showcased at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria, providing a platform to celebrate exceptional wildlife photography.
The award-winning photographs encompass a diverse range of categories, including images of a common carder bee in flight, a newt guarding its eggs, fluorescent bonnet mushrooms, and a bull elephant spraying water on zebras in Kenya’s Chyulu Hills. Each image encapsulates the beauty and complexity of the natural world, inviting viewers to appreciate the wonders of wildlife photography.
