{"id":1170637,"date":"2026-08-26T16:02:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T16:02:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1170637\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T16:02:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T16:02:27","slug":"wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-whittles-more-than-65000-entries-to-the-top-100-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1170637\/","title":{"rendered":"Wildlife Photographer of the Year Whittles More than 65,000 Entries to the Top 100 \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 65,000 images by photographers in 121 countries presented a staggering challenge for the jurors of this year\u2019s Wildlife Photographer of the Year<\/a> competition. Of these entries, 100 were selected for the prestigious contest<\/a>\u2019s shortlist, showcasing the world\u2019s diverse creatures and their habitats.<\/p>\n

The top images also demonstrate an array of realities across a number of categories, from animal behavior to portraits to photojournalism. Viewers are treated to the beauty and tenderness of inter-species cooperation and also confronted with the poignancy of family and the sometimes troubling impacts of human intervention.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>Ernest Porter (South Africa), \u201cMutual Friends,\u201d Manyeleti Game Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Highly Commended, Behaviour: Birds. An oxpecker cleans its bill against a rhino\u2019s skin.<\/p>\n

In Vegard Byrkjeland Aasen\u2019s capture of orcas off the coast of Norway, we witness a grieving parent supporting the body of a calf as they swim. And Pietro Rojas\u2019 documentation of a brown bear in a circus, muzzled and strapped to a bicycle cart for a performance, acknowledges the toll of human interference on wild animals. \u201cMany countries have banned the use of wild animals in circuses,\u201d says a statement. \u201cWhere brown bears are used, they often are trained to perform in unnatural postures like standing upright for long periods of time, contributing to health and behavioural problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of the images snap animals in their native habitats, such as a polar bear peeking furtively through a hole in the ice, which Audun Rikardsen captures from a seal\u2019s-eye view. Ernest Porter times an oxpecker\u2019s beak-cleaning ritual on the snout of a rhinoceros so well that it lends an air of affection, as if the bird is giving the mammal a hug. And Jens Cullmann chronicles a humorously candid \u201cfail\u201d when an African bullfrog dramatically misses its meal.<\/p>\n

Winners are slated to be announced on October 13. Explore hundreds of photos from past years in the online gallery<\/a>, and visit this year\u2019s exhibition, which runs from October 16 to July 11, 2027, at London\u2019s Natural History Museum. <\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>Jens Cullmann (Germany), \u201cSplit-Second Escape,\u201d Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana. Highly Commended, Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles. An African bullfrog lunges for an African babul butterfly\u2014and misses.<\/p>\n

\"two<\/a>Vegard Byrkjeland Aasen (Norway), \u201cLifted to the Surface,\u201d Kv\u00e6nangen, Troms County, Norway. Highly Commended, Behaviour: Mammals. An adult orca supports the body of a calf in the freezing waters of a Norwegian fjord.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>Pietro Rojas (Guatemala), \u201cThe Show Goes On,\u201d Doha, Qatar. Highly Commended, Photojournalism. A brown bear rides a small motorcycle, muzzled and secured to the apparatus as it circles a circus ring.<\/p>\n

\"hundreds<\/a>Bence M\u00e1t\u00e9 (Hungary), \u201cFlock of Gold,\u201d Ashnil Aruba Lodge, Tsavo East National Park, Kenya. Highly Commended, Behaviour: Birds. A flock of birds descends to quench their thirst at a small pond.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>Shane Gross (Canada), \u201cCalm Amid the Storm,\u201d D\u2019Arros Island, Seychelles. Highly Commended, Oceans: The Bigger Picture. A school of bigeye trevally swirls as the morning light breaks and a storm approaches.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>Jack Crockford (U.K.), \u201cThe Art of Flying,\u201d London, England. Highly Commended, 15-17 Years. A low-flying swift passes by, its shape echoed by an incoming plane to Heathrow Airport.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>Gil Wizen (Israel\/Canada), \u201cHidden Dragon,\u201d Wildsumaco Biological Station, Napo Province, Ecuador. Highly Commended, Behaviour: Invertebrates. A lichen dragon katydid perches on a plant.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>Andrea and Maceo Grammatico (France), \u201cBiting Back,\u201d Sierpe, South Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Highly Commended, Animal Portraits. A mosquito drinks a venomous viper\u2019s blood.<\/p>\n

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