Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 Shortlist Captures Polar Bears, Leopards and Urban Wildlife

From a polar bear peering into a seal’s breathing hole to a young leopard losing a chase with a squirrel, the highly commended photographs from the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition offer striking glimpses into animal behavior around the world. The images span remote Arctic environments, African deserts, tropical wetlands and even suburban neighborhoods in California.

The overall winners are scheduled to be announced Oct. 13, 2026, ahead of an exhibition opening at London’s Natural History Museum on Oct. 16.

Polar Bear Peers Through an Icy Window

Norwegian wildlife photographer Audun Rikardsen earned a highly commended distinction in the Animal Portraits category for “Icy Window,” an image showing a female polar bear looking into a seal’s breathing hole.

While working as a guide with Arctic Wildlife Tours, Rikardsen positioned an underwater camera equipped with a motion sensor beneath the hole. At 4 a.m., a polar bear approached and looked directly toward the camera.

Rikardsen waited another eight hours for the bear to leave before retrieving the equipment.

“I was so extremely happy. I was screaming, so I probably woke up all the polar bears for miles,” he said after seeing the photographs.

Rikardsen previously won Wildlife Photographer of the Year categories for Birds in 2019 and Oceans: The Bigger Picture in 2025.

Young Photographers Capture Wildlife in London and Tokyo

Jack Crockford of the United Kingdom was highly commended in the 15-17 Years category for “The Art of Flying,” photographed in London’s Bushy Park. Crockford captured swifts returning from their annual migration from Africa.

Most of the birds were flying too high to photograph, but several passed low enough for him to capture the image. Swifts spend nearly their entire lives airborne, typically landing only for nesting.

In the 11-14 Years category, Japan’s Sora Miyazawa photographed an Eastern Japanese toad moving along a Tokyo street after rainfall. The species usually inhabits forests and grasslands but has adapted successfully to urban environments.

Orca Image Documents Difficult Animal Behavior

Norwegian photographer Vegard Byrkjeland Aasen received recognition in the Behaviour: Mammals category for “Lifted to the Surface.”

While operating a drone for the Norwegian Orca Survey in Kvænangen, Norway, Aasen observed an adult killer whale carrying a deceased calf. The orca repeatedly allowed the calf to sink before lifting it back toward the surface.

The behavior may represent an attempt to revive or protect the calf. Similar incidents have previously been documented among killer whales, and a 2026 study suggested such behavior may be more widespread across the species than previously understood.

Viper Portrait Reveals an Unexpected Detail

French photographers Andrea and Maceo Grammatico captured a fer-de-lance viper in Costa Rica for their highly commended image “Biting Back.”

Only after reviewing their photographs did the twins realize that a mosquito was resting on the snake’s head. They described the photograph as “one of the most demanding focus stacks we’ve ever created.”

The highly venomous fer-de-lance is exceptionally well camouflaged and can blend into plantation environments, sometimes putting agricultural workers at risk.

Dramatic Scenes From Brazil, Namibia and Kenya

In Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands, British photographer Andy Parkinson photographed a black vulture standing above a dead yacaré caiman. After the bird departed, a jaguar emerged and claimed the carcass.

Parkinson later noticed a clean wound on the caiman’s head, which he suspects may have resulted from a collision with a speeding boat.

South African photographer Dewald Tromp, meanwhile, documented a Namaqua chameleon enduring a sudden sandstorm in Namibia’s Namib Desert. The desert-adapted reptiles can obtain moisture from dew and fog in their exceptionally dry habitat.

Hungarian photographer Bence Máté captured tens of thousands of red-billed queleas descending on a watering hole in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park. Máté said the rush of air created by their wings could be felt from about 98 feet away.

Red-billed queleas can form flocks numbering as many as two million birds and are considered among the world’s most abundant wild birds.

Rhino and Oxpecker Show a Wildlife Partnership

At South Africa’s Manyeleti Game Reserve, Ernest Porter photographed a red-billed oxpecker rubbing its bill against a white rhinoceros.

Oxpeckers feed on insects found on large mammals and can also warn their hosts when potential threats approach. The relationship earned Porter’s image the title “Mutual Friends.”

Lucky Squirrel Escapes a Young Leopard

American photographer Allegra Hutton captured a lighter moment in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

Her photograph, “Up a Tree without a Squirrel,” shows a young leopard clinging to a tree after unsuccessfully pursuing a squirrel. The squirrel escaped by climbing higher, eventually forcing the leopard into an awkward retreat.

Another dramatic Botswana photograph came from Germany’s Jens Cullmann, who captured the instant an African bullfrog lunged unsuccessfully at a babul butterfly.

Wildlife Adapts to Cities and Changing Environments

American photographer Loren Elliott highlighted the increasingly visible intersection between people and wildlife in Southern California. His photograph “Pooltime Pastime” shows a black bear taking a dip in a residential swimming pool in Monrovia.

The scene reflects the growing overlap between bear habitat and residential development in Los Angeles County.

Elsewhere, American photographer Ralph Pace photographed a sea hare moving through an eelgrass meadow in California’s Monterey Bay. Sea hares help maintain eelgrass ecosystems by grazing on algae that can otherwise block sunlight.

Canadian photographer Shane Gross captured bigeye trevally near D’Arros Island in the Seychelles, where surrounding waters became a protected no-take marine area in 2023.

Photography Highlights Wildlife Conservation Concerns

Other highly commended photographs include Gil Wizen’s image of a tiny lichen dragon katydid in Ecuador and Pietro Rojas’ photojournalism image of a muzzled brown bear riding a small motorcycle in a circus in Doha, Qatar.

More than 50 countries have banned or restricted the use of wild animals in circuses amid concerns about animal welfare.

Developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition continues to combine artistic photography with documentation of animal behavior, conservation and the increasingly complex relationship between wildlife and human activity.

John Irving

John Irving writes for Bjournal, covering news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. He focuses on clear, reliable reporting and useful information, helping readers stay informed about current events, emerging trends, and stories that matter.