`Playful Lynx` picture by Austrian photographer wins global photography contest

Austrian photographer Josef Stefan has won the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year Nuveen People’s Choice Award 2026. His striking image, titled Flying Rodent, captured a `playful lynx` in Spain and secured the top spot after a record 85,917 public votes worldwide, an official statement said.
The award is organised by the Natural History Museum in London and supported by global investment firm Nuveen.
Speaking about his win, Stefan described the image as the fulfilment of a long-held dream to photograph the Iberian lynx. He highlighted the species as a symbol of hope, noting its recovery from near extinction due to sustained conservation efforts.
Also highly commended are Will Nicholls’ image of a silhouetted pair of young bear cubs rearing up and play-fighting in the middle of a quiet road in Jasper National Park, Canada, and Kohei Nagira’s photograph of a sika deer carrying the interlocked severed head of a rival male that had died after their battle.
Record participation and competition
This year’s competition saw strong global participation, with over 60,000 entries submitted from 113 countries and territories. From these, a shortlist of 24 images was selected, alongside 100 winners announced earlier in October 2025.
An international panel of experts in photography, conservation, and science helped choose the finalists.
The winning picture
Stefan’s photograph was taken in Ciudad Real, where he spent two weeks observing wildlife. The image shows a young Iberian lynx tossing a rodent into the air—a natural hunting behaviour—before eventually eating it.
The Iberian lynx, once critically endangered, has seen a recovery in recent years, making the image a symbol of successful conservation efforts.
Four other photographs highly praised by voters
The four ‘highly commended’ images that also impressed wildlife lovers across the globe include a group of flamingos standing out against a stark industrial backdrop of power lines in in Walvis Bay, Namibia, by Alexandre Brisson and a mother polar bear and her three cubs pausing peacefully in the summer heat on the Hudson Bay coast, Canada, by Christopher Paetkau. 
Family Rest

A mother polar bear and her three cubs pause peacefully in the summer heat. Pic titled: Family Rest by Christopher Paetkau (Canada)
Dancing in the headlights
A silhouetted pair of young bear cubs rear up and play-fight in the middle of a quiet road. Bears are a fairly frequent sight in Jasper National Park, Canada but the cubs are rarer, as mothers tend to keep them away from any threats. Pic titled: Dancing in the Headlights by Will Nicholls (UK)
Beauty against the beast
A Highly Commended in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Nuveen People’s Choice Award 2026 was a group of flamingos stands out against a stark industrial backdrop of power lines at the bird sanctuary in Walvis Bay, Namibia. The image shows how even spaces meant to protect wildlife carry the signs of human expansion. Pic titled: Beauty Against the Beast by Alexandre Brisson (Switzerland)
Never-ending Struggle

A sika deer carries the interlocked severed head of a rival male that had died after their battle. In autumn, male sika deer fight over females by clashing their antlers. This deer won the fight, but their antlers became tightly locked and wouldn’t come apart. Pic titled: Never-ending Struggle by Kohei Nagira (Japan)
About the competition
Now in its 61st year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year is a globally recognised competition celebrating the best in nature photography. It attracts entries from photographers of all ages and backgrounds and tours internationally, reaching millions each year.
Exhibition details
The winning photograph and the highly commended images will be displayed at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum until 12 July 2026. The image will also be featured alongside other winners in the main gallery.