South African photographer Ernest Porter captured a remarkably candid moment when an oxpecker cleaned its bill against a rhino's skin, earning a Highly Commended designation in the bird category. Locally known in Swahili as the rhino's guard, the red-billed oxpecker feeds on insects infesting the thick-skinned mammals. Porter's image was chosen from a record-breaking 65,403 entries submitted across 121 countries for the 62nd annual competition hosted by the U.K. Natural History Museum.
The overall grand title winner went to Italian photographer Federico Veronesi, whose haunting image shows a female elephant carrying the body of a dead calf through the sand. Panel chair Kathy Moran noted that the poignant photograph serves as powerful visual evidence of animal cognition and grief. Other standout entries included American photographer Jack Zhi capturing a kingbird mobbing a red-tailed hawk, and Dewald Tromp weathering a Namib Desert sandstorm to photograph a squished-up Namaqua chameleon.
Additional highlights range from the microscopic to the majestic. German photographer Britta Springler backlit a mushroom outside her home to capture spores releasing like underwater fireworks, while Seán O'Callaghan documented a humpback whale washed ashore after dying from fishing rope entanglement. On a lighter and younger note, U.K. participant Amelie Davis won the under-10 category using her father's iPhone to photograph a common carder bee.
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