Full Breakdown
Federico Veronesi’s “The Aftermath” Wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
By Drooid · · How we work
The Winning Image and Its Context
Italian photographer Federico Veronesi captured a black-and-white photograph titled *The Aftermath* in Namibia’s Huab River Valley. While tracking a herd, he followed drag marks across a dry riverbed and found a female elephant carrying a dead calf, the calf’s leg wedged between the animal’s tusk and trunk. Researchers later identified the adult as a female that had lost a calf several years earlier and had previously been observed handling dead calves of other herd members.
Competition Overview and Statistics
The 62nd edition of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, organized by the Natural History Museum in London, received 65,403 entries from 121 countries and territories. This year both the adult and young overall winners were recognised for black-and-white photographs, a first in the contest’s history. Veronesi’s image won the Behaviour: Mammals category, while Oscar Whitfield (Zimbabwe/UK) took the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year title for his dung-beetle photograph *Labour of Love* in the 11-14 Years bracket.
Official Statements & Responses
Kathy Moran, chair of the jury, called the photograph an “emotional gut punch” and “proof that animals have cognition.” Competition director Dr Doug Gurr highlighted the image’s impact on public understanding of wildlife.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This year’s winning photographs demonstrate the extraordinary power of wildlife photography to help us see nature differently,” — Dr Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum
- “I hope that when people look at the photograph, they can see too, and maybe appreciate how much can be happening in a small moment in the natural world,” — Oscar Whitfield
Other Notable Category Winners
- Amelie Davis (UK) – 10 Years and Under, a common carder bee photographed with a smartphone.
- James Lewin (UK) – Animals in Their Environment, a young bull elephant spraying zebras at a Kenyan waterhole.
- Aaron Sanders (UK) – Animal Portraits, an octopus peeking from kelp in Cornwall.
- Agorastos Papatsanis (Greece) – Plants and Fungi, fluorescent bonnet mushrooms illuminated with UV light on Mount Olympus.
Exhibition Schedule
The competition’s annual exhibition opens at the Natural History Museum on Friday 16 October 2026 and runs until 11 July 2027. A parallel show will be displayed at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto from 7 November 2026 to 28 February 2027, and later at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria until 18 April 2027. Tickets are available through the museum’s website.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Initial observations suggested the adult elephant might have been the calf’s mother, but researchers clarified that the female had lost a calf years earlier and had a history of handling dead calves of other herd members. The precise motivation—grief, learning, or another social response—remains debated.
Why It Matters
The photograph provides a rare visual record of elephant behavior surrounding death, informing discussions about animal cognition and social complexity. By reaching a global audience through the exhibition tour, the image reinforces the role of wildlife photography in linking scientific observation with public awareness and conservation dialogue.
