More than 65,000 images by photographers in 121 countries have been distilled to a shortlist of 100 in this year\u2019s Wildlife Photographer of the Year. The selection spans animal behaviour, portraits, and photojournalism, presenting encounters that oscillate between tenderness, family bonds, and the troubling impacts of human intervention.<\/p>\n
Among the Highly Commended works, Audun Rikardsen\u2019s Icy Window<\/em> (Arctic sea ice north of Svalbard, Norway) peers up from a seal\u2019s perspective at a polar bear gazing into a breathing hole, earning recognition in Animal Portraits<\/strong>. Ernest Porter\u2019s Mutual Friends<\/em> (Manyeleti Game Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa), in Behaviour: Birds<\/strong>, times the moment an oxpecker cleans its bill against a rhino\u2019s skin.<\/p>\n In Behaviour: Mammals<\/strong>, Vegard Byrkjeland Aasen\u2019s Lifted to the Surface<\/em> (Kv\u00e6nangen, Troms County, Norway) shows an adult orca supporting the body of a calf in a freezing fjord. Pietro Rojas\u2019 The Show Goes On<\/em> (Doha, Qatar), recognized in Photojournalism<\/strong>, confronts a stark scene: a muzzled brown bear, secured to a small motorcycle, circling a circus ring. \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 Elsewhere, moments unfold at split-second speed. Jens Cullmann\u2019s Split-Second Escape<\/em> (Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana), in Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles<\/strong>, captures an African bullfrog lunging for an African babul butterfly\u2014and missing. Bence M\u00e1t\u00e9\u2019s Flock of Gold<\/em> (Ashnil Aruba Lodge, Tsavo East National Park, Kenya), in Behaviour: Birds<\/strong>, follows a flock descending to drink at a pond, while Shane Gross\u2019s Calm Amid the Storm<\/em> (D\u2019Arros Island, Seychelles), in Oceans: The Bigger Picture<\/strong>, observes a school of bigeye trevally swirling in rising light as a storm approaches.<\/p>\n Urban proximity and minute marvels also appear: Jack Crockford\u2019s The Art of Flying<\/em> (London, England), in 15-17 Years<\/strong>, frames a low-flying swift whose silhouette echoes an incoming plane to Heathrow Airport. Gil Wizen\u2019s Hidden Dragon<\/em> (Wildsumaco Biological Station, Napo Province, Ecuador), in Behaviour: Invertebrates<\/strong>, isolates a lichen dragon katydid on a plant, and Andrea and Maceo Grammatico\u2019s Biting Back<\/em> (Sierpe, South Puntarenas, Costa Rica), in Animal Portraits<\/strong>, records a mosquito drinking a venomous viper\u2019s blood.<\/p>\n Winners are slated to be announced on October 13. The exhibition runs from October 16 to July 11, 2027, at London\u2019s Natural History Museum. Hundreds of photographs from past years are available in an online gallery.<\/p>\n Taken together, the shortlist\u2019s scenes\u2014oceanic, arctic, terrestrial, and urban\u2014offer a concentrated look at wildlife and the ways we see it.<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s next<\/h2>\n