Home / Environment / Elephant's Heartbreaking Calf Carry Wins Top Photo Award
Elephant's Heartbreaking Calf Carry Wins Top Photo Award
14 Oct
Summary
- Photographer Veronesi captured a female elephant carrying a dead calf.
- The elephant had previously lost her own calf years earlier.
- The image reveals the complex emotions and bonds of animals.
Federico Veronesi, an Italian photographer, has been awarded Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 for a deeply moving photograph. The image captures a female elephant in Namibia's Huab River Valley tenderly carrying a deceased calf.
Veronesi discovered the elephant dragging the calf, its leg entwined with her tusk and trunk. He initially assumed it was the mother, but subsequent research revealed the elephant had lost her own calf years prior.
Researchers noted this elephant's pattern of carrying deceased calves belonging to other females. Veronesi described the encounter as profoundly significant, revealing the depth of animal emotions and complex relationships.
The winning photograph, displayed at the Natural History Museum starting Friday, October 16, 2026, aims to foster a deeper understanding of animals as individuals with rich emotional lives.
