2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Winner Captures Iberian Lynx at Play

Audience Choice Award Winner for 2026

According to Главком: Austrian photographer Josef Stefan has won the public vote for the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award with his image titled 'Flying Rodent'. The photograph captures a young Iberian lynx tossing its prey into the air. Stefan took the shot in Spain's Ciudad-Real province after waiting in a hide for several days. The lynx appeared suddenly and played with its catch for nearly 20 minutes. Josef Stefan remarked:

“It looked as if the rodent could fly” - Josef Stefan

The Iberian lynx is one of the world's rarest wild cat species. In the early 2000s, its population fell to fewer than 100 individuals, but conservation programs have since helped numbers recover to over 2,000. Despite this progress, the species remains classified as vulnerable. The winning image was selected from 25 finalists by tens of thousands of public voters.

Exhibition and Other Competitions

All the winning photographs, including Stefan's, are on display at London's Natural History Museum in an exhibition running until July 2026. In related news, the international World Press Photo organization has announced 42 regional winners for its annual photojournalism contest. This competition received 59,320 entries from 3,778 photographers across 141 countries. Among the winners were two Russian photographers and a work by a German photographer depicting a wounded terrorist from the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DNR).

Other notable works featured in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition include:

• “Family Time Out” by Christopher Paetkau, showing a polar bear with three cubs resting after an arduous coastal journey.
• “Beauty and the Beast” by Alexandre Brisson, featuring a flamingo against an industrial backdrop in Namibia.
• “Dancing in the Headlights” by Will Nichols, where bear cubs play on a road illuminated by car lights.
• “Endless Struggle” by Kohei Nagira, which depicts a deer carrying the head of a rival after a fight.

Winning this prestigious award underscores the critical role of photography in highlighting conservation efforts for endangered species. The images on display serve not only as artistic achievements but also as powerful tools for raising awareness about global environmental challenges. Similarly, photojournalism contests like World Press Photo draw vital attention to pressing social and political issues, reflecting the complex realities of our world.