A Tragic Elephant Shrieks In Sneak Peek Of Wildlife Photographer Of The Year

The winners of the Natural History Museum competition are yet to be revealed.

Tom Hale

Senior Journalist

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The Natural History Museum (NHM) in London has provided a sneak peek of their Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, including a ghoulish sea creature and a macaque hitching a ride on a deer’s back.

Among the many impressive images, the NHM shared a heartbreaking photograph of a distressed elephant that had just been struck by a train in Gabon. Tragically, the elephant's hip was shattered beyond repair and it had to be put down. It's estimated that 20 elephants are hit by trains in Lopé National Park each year. Many of these speeding trains are transporting manganese from the Moanda mine, which holds 25 percent of known reserves in the world.

The overall winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition will be announced at an awards ceremony on October 10, 2023. An international panel of judges will assess the images based on their creativity, originality, and technical excellence.

Atsuyuki Ohshima quickly frames an unusual interaction as a macaque jumps on a deer.

Image credit: ©Atsuyuki Ohshima/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A curated collection of 100 winning images will be put on display for an exhibition at the NHM on October 13. After the flagship exhibition in London, the image will then go on a national and international tour, so keep your eyes peeled if it’s coming to a city near you.

In its 59th year, this year’s competition has attracted almost 50,000 entries from 95 countries around the world.

These images are just a sample of Highly Commended images, picked to whet the appetite of nature lovers who might be interested in the final winners. Judging by this preview, the competition is shaping up nicely.

Jef Pattyn watches as an artisan fisher drags a sailfish across the beach.

Image credit: ©Jef Pattyn/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Pietro Formis discovers a Mediterranean stargazer peering through the sandy floor in coastal waters.

Image credit: ©Pietro Formis/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

“What most impressed the jury was the range of subjects, from absolute beauty, rarely seen behaviors and species to images that are stark reminders of what we are doing to the natural world. We felt a powerful tension between wonder and woe that we believe came together to create a thought-provoking collection of photographs,” Kathy Moran, Chair of the judging panel, said in a statement sent to IFLScience.

“We are facing urgent biodiversity and climate crises, and photography is a powerful catalyst for change. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition reveals some of nature’s most wondrous sights whilst offering hope and achievable actions visitors can take to help protect the natural world,” added Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the NHM.

Caitlin Henderson finds an unexpected guest on her balcony as a possum snacks on a large cicada.

Image credit: ©Caitlin Henderson/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Solvin Zankl carefully watches a two-coloured mason bee build the roof of its nest.

Michal Siarek records the moment a team from Poznan Zoo opens a crate to check on an evacuated tiger cub. Michal documented efforts to evacuate animals including wild animals in private ownership such as tigers, from across war-torn Ukraine.

Michal Siarek records the moment a team from Poznań Zoo opens a crate to check on an evacuated tiger cub. Michal documented efforts to evacuate animals including wild animals in private ownership such as tigers, from across war-torn Ukraine.