From an unlikely friendship to a leopard’s clumsy maneuver: the world’s main wildlife images competitors reveals a sneak peek of this yr’s extraordinary pictures

With a record-breaking variety of submissions of over 65,000 pictures, the world’s main wildlife images competitors reveals a sneak peek of the distinctive pictures captured from world wide.

Now operating in its 62nd yr, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London, offers us uncommon insights into the intertwined lives of a rhino and an oxpecker, a not-so-easy-to-find dragon katydid and extra – all showcasing the exceptional inhabitants of our planet.

The class winners and the celebrated Grand Title and Young Grand Title awards will likely be introduced on October 13. You can watch the ceremony reside on YouTube. The full set of highlighted pictures will likely be showcased in an exhibition from October 16 on the Natural History Museum, with tickets available here.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year – Sneak Peak Highlights

Behaviour: Mammals

Highly Commended
Up a Tree without a Squirrel by Allegra Hutton, USA

Technical particulars
Sony A7R V + Sony FE 200–600mm f/5.6–6.3 G OSS at 467mm; 1/640 at f/11; ISO 4000

Allegra had already watched the leopard attempt – and fail – to stalk a rabbit. The squirrel additionally averted the leopard’s clumsy manoeuvres, ultimately ascending too excessive for the leopard to observe. By then, the cat might barely cling on. An awkward backward retreat ensued.

Oceans: The Bigger Picture

Highly Commended
Calm Amid the Storm by Shane Gross, Canada

Technical particulars
Nikon D500 + Tokina AT-X107 Fisheye 10-17mm f/2.5-4.5; 1/200 at f/16; ISO 500; Aquatica AD500 housing; 2x YS-250 Sea & Sea strobes

Shane observed this faculty of fish swimming close to the shore each morning at dawn. Aiming for a cut up shot, he flipped the digital camera the wrong way up to help buoyancy distribution and adjusted his place, slowly approaching the curious faculty.

Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles

Highly Commended
Split-Second Escape by Jens Cullmann, Germany

Technical particulars
Canon EOS R3 + Canon RF 100–300mm f/2.8 L IS USM + 2x teleconverter; 1/4000 at f/9 (-0.3 e/v); ISO 2500

Jens observed tadpoles on a earlier go to after heavy rains and returned the next month to search out ponds and puddles filled with younger bullfrogs. He spent greater than two weeks watching the younger frogs ‘eat everything that moved’.

Behaviour: Invertebrates

Highly Commended
Hidden Dragon by Gil Wizen, Israel/Canada

Technical particulars
Canon EOS 7D Mark II + Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM; 1/100 at f/11; ISO 400; Canon Speedlite Macro Twin Lite flash + customised diffuser

At solely 15 millimetres (3/5 of an inch) lengthy, this little lichen dragon katydid was not straightforward to search out. Luckily, Gil was in a position to spot it when it moved barely, although distinguishing between the katydid and the lichen within the digital camera’s viewfinder made it difficult to {photograph}.

Behaviour: Birds

Highly Commended
Mutual Friends by Ernest Porter, South Africa

Technical particulars
Canon EOS R7 + Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM; 1/5000 at f/2.8; ISO 800

While trying to find wildlife within the reserve, Ernest witnessed a gaggle of white rhinos with red-billed oxpeckers feeding on the bugs that infest their pores and skin. He observed one rhino with a delicate blue ring in his eye, which instantly grew to become his distinctive muse.

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Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from August 2026 to January 2027.