First Wildlife Photographer of the year images revealed

CAN ONLY BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM'S WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION MANDATORY CREDIT: Ian Ford/Wildlife Photographer of the Year THE FOLLOWING MUST APPEAR CLEARLY AND LEGIBLY IN EDITORIAL COPY: Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. Undated handout photo issued by Natural History Museum of Deadly Bite by Ian Ford from UK of the moment a jaguar delivers a fatal bite to a caiman in the Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil which was Highly Commended in the Behaviour: Mammals section of the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Issue date: Thursday August 29, 2024.
A jaguar delivering a fatal bite to a caiman in the Pantanal in Brazil was captured by British photographer Ian Ford. Credit: Ian Ford/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA

A stoat “dancing” over the snow, a ball of bees fighting over a mate, and a jaguar going for the kill are among the first images released from this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

More than a dozen highly-commended images were unveiled on Thursday by the Natural History Museum for this year’s competition.It comes ahead of the winners being announced at a ceremony hosted by TV presenters and conservationists Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin on October 8.

Twist and Jump by Jose Manuel Grandio from Spain of a stoat in Athose, Bourgogne-Franche-Comte, France. Credit: Jose Manuel Grandio/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA

Among the newly-released images, which received highly commended awards in their categories, are Jose Manuel Grandio’s joyous image of a stoat jumping high into the air over fresh snow and young photographer Sasha Jumanca’s shot of two curious tawny owlets.

Leaving the Nest by Sasha Jumanca of two tawny owlets in Maximiliansanlagen, Munich, Germany Credit: Sasha Jumanca/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA

Theo Bosboom’s image showed how mussels bind together to avoid being washed away from the shoreline in Sintra, Portugal.

An exhibition of the top 100 images submitted to the competition opens at the Natural History Museum in London on October 11, before going on a UK and international tour.

Moonlight Hunter by Xingchao Zhu from China of a Pallas's cat in Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia, China. Credit: Xingchao Zhu/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA

Among the 14 images that have been released are shots of lions mating with a backdrop of storm clouds in Tanzania, a Pallas’s cat staring down the lens as the moon sets in China, a jackdaw bringing stones to its nest in London, and a requiem shark in a final act of resistance in the bycatch of a ship in the South Atlantic.

Strength in Numbers by Theo Bosboom from the Netherlands showing mussels bind together to avoid being washed away in Praia da Ursa, Portugal Credit: Theo Bosboom/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA

Kathy Moran, chair of the judging panel, said: “In this selection, you see species diversity, a range of behaviour and conservation issues.

“These images represent the evolution of the competition through the years, from pure natural history to photography that fully embraces representation of the natural world – the beauty and the challenges.”

Hooked by Tommy Trenchard from South Africa of the bycatch of a requiem shark in International waters, South Atlantic Ocean Credit: Tommy Trenchard/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA

To mark the 60th anniversary of the competition in 2024, the museum’s flagship exhibition will feature a timeline of key moments in its history.

Randy Robbin’s photo of the frosted body of a deer on the forest floor was also unveiled as the first-ever awarded smartphone image.

The Last Resting Place by Randy Robbins from USA of the frosted form of a deer on the forest floor Near Susanville, California, USA Credit: Randy Robbins/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA

This year’s competition attracted a record-breaking 59,228 entries from photographers of all ages and experience levels from 117 countries and territories.Entries were judged anonymously by an international panel of industry experts on their creativity, originality and technical excellence.A new award in both the young and adult competitions, called the Impact Award, has also been introduced this year to recognise a conservation success, a story of hope or positive change.

Stormy Scene by William Fortescue from UK of mating lions in Svalbard, Norway. Credit: William Fortescue/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA

Director of the museum, Dr Doug Gurr said: “As we celebrate sixty years of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, we also celebrate the generations of visitors who have been inspired by the beauty and majesty of its images, and the millions of connections made with nature.“Over the decades, Wildlife Photographer of the Year has pushed the boundaries of wildlife photography as the competition evolved alongside technological advancements.

A ball of male Dawson's burrowing bees vying for access to a female Near Carnarvon, Western Australia. Credit: Georgina Steytler/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA

“But still today, the competition remains true to one of its founding objectives: to enhance the prestige of wildlife photography in the hope that ultimately the awards would benefit animals by creating greater public interest in them and in that all-important topic – conservation."

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest episode of What You Need To Know to find out: