Image of mournful elephant mom wins 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year - CBC

These are the winning images for Wildlife Photographers of the Year 2026From thriving fungi to grieving elephants, these are the winners of the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards. The photographs are being exhibited at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, U. K. Published: October 15, 2026 at 2:02p.m. EDTImage 0 of 20

Federico Veronesi received the top honor of the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his poignant black-and-white image of a female elephant carrying her deceased calf. The portrait represents a rare insight into animals’ habits we have yet to fully understand and demonstrates the power of timing and persistence in photography. Veronesi had been tracking elephants in the Huab River Valley of Namibia when he encountered some unusual drag marks on the earth. He eventually caught up with the family, and the adult emerged with the calf’s leg wedged between her trunk and tusk. “Behaviours centering on death have been observed in both Asian and African elephants, including vocalisations, guarding the dead, inspecting and handling bones, and carrying the deceased,” a statement says. “Some researchers suggest these behaviours could indicate an elephant’s journey to understanding death, while others interpret these actions as possible displays of grief.”

A heartbreaking image of an elephant carrying a dead calf has been named the overall winner of the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

Marvel Studios’ release of Avengers: Endgame: Encore was a shrewd gambit for a few reasons: It put the studio’s most successful film back in conversation right after the juggernaut success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day; it tided die-hards over with new footage ahead of December’s Avengers: Doomsday; and, perhaps most importantly, it raked in an additional $138 million for the film, reinstating its position as the worldwide box office champion over James Cameron’s Avatar. Cameron, who certainly doesn’t spend his precious time fretting about such matters as lifetime financial grosses and being the best in the world at stuff, recently expressed his congratulations to Marvel for once again overtaking his 2009 sci-fi film. “You are one of the people,” the director wrote (per The Wrap) in a composite image from Avatar, with Iron Man at the center of a welcoming Na’vi tribe. “Congratulations to Marvel and the #1 Avengers: Endgame: Encore for bringing moviegoers to the cinemas! – Jim Cameron.”