Elephant Carrying Calf Wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year
An Italian photographer's poignant black and white image of a female elephant carrying its dead calf has won the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
Italian photographer Federico Veronesi's striking image, captured in Namibia's Huab River Valley, was selected from a record 65,403 entries submitted by photographers from 121 countries and territories. The photograph depicts a female elephant with its calf wedged between its tusk and trunk.
Experts suggest such behavior in elephants, observed in both African and Asian species, may indicate attempts to comprehend death or express grief. Kathy Moran, chair of the jury, described the winning photograph as "heartbreakingly poignant" and "proof that animals have cognition."
Another notable winner was 14-year-old Oscar Whitfield, who won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for his black and white shot of a dung beetle pushing a ball of dung. Jasper Doest, a jury member, praised the image for its intentional composition and storytelling.
The winning photographs and category winners, spanning themes from urban wildlife to animals in their environment, will be exhibited at the Natural History Museum in London, the competition's organizer, before embarking on a UK and international tour.
Among the other category winners announced are images of fluorescent fungi in Greece, a common octopus in England's waters, shoebills gathering nesting materials in South Africa, and a young bull elephant spraying zebras at a watering hole. Kutub Uddin received an award for a portfolio of images documenting slime molds in West Sussex. The 10-and-under category was won by nine-year-old Amelie Davis for her photo of a common carder bee, taken on her father's smartphone.
Dr. Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, highlighted the power of wildlife photography to offer new perspectives on the natural world. He noted that the winning images, from the deeply affecting elephant scene to the determined dung beetle, capture moments that are both intimate and revealing, underscoring the importance of understanding and protecting biodiversity.