Incredible shortlisted images from Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Amazing photographs including a polar bear peering down a hole in an ice sheet are among the 100 images shortlisted for the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The selected images were picked out of more than 65,000 entries from 121 countries and territories, according to organizers at the Natural History Museum in London, England, on Wednesday. “Every year I think the entries to our competition can’t get any stronger… and every year I am proven wrong,” said Kathy Moran, chair of the jury, in a statement. Other selected images include a shot of a black vulture standing on the carcass of a yacaré caiman, an oxpecker cleaning its bill on a rhino’s skin, and an African bullfrog attempting to catch a butterfly. Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, added that the competition had received “truly extraordinary images.” “At a time when nature is under more pressure than ever before, these photographs remind us of both what is at stake and what is worth protecting,” said Gurr in the statement. “It will be impossible to leave without feeling a renewed sense of wonder for our incredible planet.” The overall winner and category winners will be announced on October 13, and an exhibition will open at the museum on October 16, running until July 11. The gallery above features a selection of the shortlisted images.