Five top Wildlife Photographer of the Year images (2024)

Highlights from the 60th edition of the annual competition

KATHLEEN MORGAN for the RPS Journal

A risk-taking swarm of tadpoles defying death for their next meal. A young toque macaque wrapped in the arms of an adult during a moment of calm. And an aging birch tree covered in lichen that suggests the surrounding air is pollution-free.

These are just three of the winning entries selected from more than 60,000 submissions sent by image-makers from 117 countries and territories to the 60th Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

The recipients were announced shortly before the results of the Living Planet Report 2024 were published, finding that the average size of wildlife populations had diminished by 73% between 1970 and 2020.

You can see an exhibition of the 100 award-winning images at the Natural History Museum, London, from 11 October, before it tours to other UK venues. Here are five of our favourite photographs to whet your appetite.

Main image (above): ‘The swarm of life’ by Shane Gross (Canada), winner, Grand Title and Wetlands: The Bigger Picture category, Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Marine conservation photographer Shane Gross snorkelled in Cedar Lake, Canada, for several hours before he was able to find this mass of western toad tadpoles swimming beneath a layer of lily pads.

The trick was to avoid disturbing the fine layers of silt and algae covering the lake bottom, which would have affected visibility.

Western toad tadpoles must evade predators to reach the shallows where they feed. They become toads between four and 12 weeks after hatching, with only around 1% reaching adulthood.

Location: Cedar Lake, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Technical details: Nikon D500 + Tokina fisheye 10-17mm f3.5-4.5 lens at 11mm; 1/200 at f13; ISO 640; 2x Sea and Sea strobes; Aquatica housing

Five top Wildlife Photographer of the Year images (1)

‘A tranquil moment’ by Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod (Sri Lanka), winner, Behaviour: Mammals category, Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod had spent the morning photographing birds and mammals when he came across this young toque macaque being cradled between feeds.

It was while taking a break that the photographer noticed a troop of toque macaques in the trees above him. Using a telephoto lens, he captured the peaceful moment shared by the young and older monkeys.

Listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), toque macaques adapt easily to human food. As plantations encroach on their habitat they are at risk from shooting, snaring and poisoning by farmers attempting to preserve their crops.

Location: Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka
Technical details: Nikon D500 + 600mm f4 lens; 1/1250 at f4; ISO 3200

Five top Wildlife Photographer of the Year images (2)

‘Old Man of the glen’ by Fortunato Gatto (Italy), winner, Plants and Fungi category, Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Born in Italy, Fortunato Gatto took what he calls a “leap of faith” in 2007 and made Scotland his home after becoming enchanted by its wild landscapes.

He found this gnarled birch tree enmeshed with ‘old man’s beard’ lichens in the ancient pinewoods of Glen Affric, home to the highest concentration of native trees in the UK. The pale lichens signify that this area, a vital ecosystem, is largely unaffected by air pollution.

Analysis of pollen preserved in the layered sediments shows that the forest has stood here for at least 8,300 years.

Location: Glen Affric, Scotland, UK
Technical details: Canon EOS R5 + 24-105mm f4 lens; 4 sec at f13; ISO 320; remote shutter release; Leofoto tripod

Five top Wildlife Photographer of the Year images (3)

‘Dusting for new evidence’ by Britta Jaschinski (Germany/UK), winner, Photojournalism category, Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The illegal wildlife trade has long been the focus of campaigning work by Britta Jaschinski. Her unsettlingly beautiful images walk the line between photojournalism and art, and have thrown the spotlight on a murky world that dodges international and national law.

This image shows a crime scene investigator from London’s Metropolitan Police dusting for prints on a confiscated tusk seized at Heathrow Airport. Jaschinski had been granted access to the Border Force department of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), where confiscated animal products are tested.

Experts use magnetic powder to detect fingerprints on ivory up to 28 days after it was touched, helping them track down those involved in its illegal trade.

More than 200 kits distributed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare to border forces from 40 countries have enabled 15 arrests.

Location: Heathrow Airport, England, UK
Technical details: Leica SL2 + 24-90mm f2.8-4 lens at 62mm; 1/80 at f3.8; ISO 200

Five top Wildlife Photographer of the Year images (4)

‘Dolphins of the forest’ by Thomas Peschak (Germany/South Africa), winner, Photojournalist Story Award category, Wildlife Photographer of the Year

It is one of two freshwater dolphin species living in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Only the Amazon River dolphin has evolved, though, to explore the seasonally flooded forest habitat.

Thomas Peschak documents the relationship between endangered Amazon River dolphins, also known as botos or pink river dolphins, and the people who share their watery home.

According to the 2024 Living Planet Report, 60% of the global pink river dolphin population has been decimated by pollution and other threats. The report is based on the Living Planet Index, which has monitored more than 5,000 bird, mammal, amphibian, reptile and fish population counts across five decades.

Peschak’s images focus on communities offering tourists the chance to see the dolphins. While such activity shines a light on the species, dolphins fed on human food can become unhealthy and unable to feed themselves.

Location: Amazon River
Technical details: Nikon Z 9 + 14-30mm f4 lens at 16mm; 1/320 at f6.3; ISO 1250

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is at the Natural History Museum, London, until 29 June 2025. Please book tickets in advance.

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Five top Wildlife Photographer of the Year images (2024)
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