The world's biggest and most prestigious wildlife photography competition, the U.K.'s National History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year, drew a record 65,000 entries from 121 countries this year. Here is a first look at some of the entries.

An international panel of expert judges anonymously ranked the images on their creativity, originality, technical excellence and the powerful stories they tell.

The museum released a sneak peek of some of the "Highly Commended" images, showcasing some of the world's best wildlife photography and photojournalism, taken by both amateur and professionals alike.

The newly released images include the beautifully intertwined lives of a rhino and a oxpecker by Ernest Porter, young photographer Jack Crockford's swift silhouetted against an incoming plane at London's Heathrow Airport and Allegra Hutton's shot of a young leopard chasing a squirrel up a tree.

The full set of 100 "Highly Commended" images for 2026 will be showcased in an exhibition at the museum in London starting Oct. 16. The category winners and the prestigious Grand Title and Young Grand Title awards will be announced on Oct. 13.

Split-Second Escape by Jens Cullmann, Germany

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Jens Cullmann (Germany) gets eye-level with an African bullfrog as it lunges for an African babul butterfly – and misses.

Jens noticed tadpoles on a previous visit after heavy rains and returned the following month to find ponds and puddles full of young bullfrogs. He spent more than two weeks watching the young frogs "eat everything that moved."

As adults, African bullfrogs grow up to 12 centimeters (5 inches) in length, turn a drab green and spend 10 months of the year in a dormant state underground, only emerging after the rains to breed and eat voraciously.

Urban Wanderer by Sora Miyazawa, Japan

Sora Miyazawa (Japan) focuses on an Eastern Japanese toad as it wanders  through the street after a rainfall.

Sora chanced upon this toad in the heart of one of the world’s largest cities, Tokyo. With a slow shutter speed, he composed the image before the toad hopped back into the bushes from where it had emerged. 

Exactly how this species thrives in a city of 14 million people is unclear. Toads are more successful than other amphibians at dispersing and surviving in new habitats, including in urban environments like this one.

The Art of Flying by Jack Crockford, UK

Jack Crockford (UK) watches as a low-flying swift passes by, its shape echoed by an incoming plane to Heathrow Airport.

Jack observed swifts flying overhead, completing their yearly migration back to London and filling the air with their piercing, high-pitched calls. Most were flying too high to photograph, but occasional low-flyers allowed Jack to get the composition he’d been hoping for.

Swifts’ physical characteristics allow them to migrate from equatorial and southern Africa to breeding grounds in northern Europe. Their long, scythe-shaped wings enable exceptional speed and maneuverability. Living almost their entire lives in the air, they usually only land when they’re ready to breed.

Eye of the Storm by Dewald Tromp, South Africa

Dewald Tromp (South Africa) witnesses a chameleon battling a sandstorm in the Namib Desert.

The wind picked up as Dewald was photographing this Namaqua chameleon weathering the sudden storm. Soon, it became difficult to breathe and "in a matter of seconds, you could hardly see the person next to you," Dewald recalls. 

Namaqua chameleons are insectivorous desert specialists, harvesting moisture from the air directly. Droplets that collect on their skin as dew are channelled to their mouths via microscopic surface grooves. They also use their tongue to collect fog condensed on vegetation, sand and rocks.

Biting Back by Andrea and Maceo Grammatico, France

Andrea and Maceo Grammatico (France) get a snake’s-eye view of a mosquito drinking a venomous viper’s blood.

Twins Andrea and Maceo describe this image as "one of the most demanding focus stacks we’ve ever created." It required immense concentration and care. It wasn’t until they reviewed their photographs that they noticed the mosquito on the snake’s head.

The fer-de-lance is a highly venomous viper, responsible for the greatest number of fatal snake bites in Central America. The snake’s effective camouflage and adaptability in plantation habitats occasionally surprises unsuspecting workers.

Wings of Darkness by Andrew Parkinson, UK

Andrew Parkinson (UK) spies a black vulture over the carcass of a yacaré caiman in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands.

When Andrew spotted this vulture, it was too good an opportunity to miss. He kept his boat back and used a long telephoto lens to frame what he saw as "the menacing nature" of the vulture. Out of frame, a jaguar was waiting to retrieve the caiman from the water.

After the vulture flew away, the jaguar claimed its prize. It was then that Andrew noticed ‘a suspiciously clean, straight wound’ on the back of the caiman’s head, possibly caused by a blow from a speeding boat.

Flock of Gold by Bence Máté, Hungary

Bence Máté (Hungary) observes a flock of birds descend to quench their thirst at a small pond.

For Bence, watching in the golden light of a late afternoon, the sight of this swirling mass was breathtaking: "You could feel the rush of air from tens of thousands of wings beating in unison, even from 30 meters (98 feet) away."

Red-billed queleas are found in almost every part of central, eastern and southern Africa apart from in tropical forests. They gather in groups as large as 2 million, and the global adult breeding population is estimated to number 1.5 billion, making them the most abundant wild bird on Earth.

Mutual Friends by Ernest Porter, South Africa

Ernest Porter (South Africa) is delighted by an oxpecker cleaning its bill against a rhino’s skin in the soft afternoon light.

While searching for wildlife in the reserve, Ernest witnessed a group of white rhinos with red-billed oxpeckers feeding on the insects that infest their skin. He noticed one rhino with a subtle blue ring in his eye, which immediately became his unique muse. 

In Swahili, the red-billed oxpecker is called askari wa kifaru, a name that translates to "the rhino’s guard." Oxpeckers act as sentinels, calling out to alert their hosts to the approach of other dangerous animals.

Lifted to the Surface by Vegard Byrkjeland Aasen, Norway

Vegard Byrkjeland Aasen (Norway) watches an adult orca supporting the body of a calf in the freezing waters of a Norwegian fjord.

Vegard had just launched a drone to document sightings for the Norwegian Orca Survey when something caught his attention – an adult orca carrying a deceased calf, occasionally dropping it and then retrieving it as it sank. Although difficult to witness, Vegard felt it was "important to document the moment."

Cetacean mothers have been known to use their heads to lift newborns to the surface to breathe, raising the possibility that Vegard was witnessing efforts to revive the calf. Some researchers interpret this behaviour as a reflection of the deep bond between mothers and calves.

Up a Tree without a Squirrel by Allegra Hutton, USA

Allegra Hutton (USA) watches a young leopard chase a squirrel up a tree in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

Allegra had already watched the leopard try – and fail – to stalk a rabbit. The squirrel also avoided the leopard’s clumsy maneuvers, eventually ascending too high for the leopard to follow. By then, the cat could barely hang on. An awkward backward retreat ensued.

The world is a dangerous place for young leopards. Less than half of cubs survive to independence. Many are killed by male leopards or fall prey to lions and other predators.

Hidden Dragon by Gil Wizen, Israel/Canada

Gil Wizen (Israel/Canada) shares the beauty of this lichen dragon katydid.

At only 15 millimeters (3/5 of an inch) long, this little lichen dragon katydid was not easy to find. Luckily, Gil was able to spot it when it moved slightly, though distinguishing between the katydid and the lichen in the camera’s viewfinder made it challenging to photograph.

Found only in the Andes Mountains in Ecuador, Lichenodraculus matti, or Matt’s little lichen dragon, takes part of its scientific name from its discoverer. "Dragon" alludes to the spiny armour that protects it against eagle-eyed predators that see through its disguise.

Calm Amid the Storm by Shane Gross, Canada

Shane Gross (Canada) slowly approaches a school of bigeye trevally as the morning light breaks and a storm approaches.

Shane noticed this school of fish swimming near the shore every morning at sunrise. Aiming for a split shot, he flipped the camera upside down to aid buoyancy distribution and adjusted his position, slowly approaching the curious school. 

Bigeye trevally are fished in many parts of the world, but here they are relatively safe. In 2023, the waters surrounding D’Arros Island were made a Marine Protected Area and designated as no-take zones as part of the worldwide initiative for governments to protect 30% of Earth’s land and ocean by 2030.

Pooltime Pastime by Loren Elliott, USA

Loren Elliott (USA) observes a black bear stopping for a dip in a Southern California pool.

Loren spent many hours watching through the kitchen window of a local resident’s home to photograph bears that frequently pass through this yard. "I most like how it shows the very common overlap of wildlife and residential living in Los Angeles County," he says.

Where housing developments have spread into the bear’s habitat, human–bear coexistence is increasingly challenging. The owner recognizes that he is living in "bear country" and endeavors to be a responsible resident, ensuring no food is left out and doors and windows are kept shut.

Ocean Protector by Ralph Pace, USA

Ralph Pace (USA) glimpses a sea hare gliding through an eelgrass meadow in Monterey Bay.

In the shallows of Monterey Bay on the U.S. Pacific coast, the evening light traces the silhouette that earned this sea slug its name – sea hare. Ralph wanted to depict an unexpected, hopeful scene of "a gentle giant safeguarding the last green meadows of the sea."

Sea hares play an important role in the restoration of eelgrass meadows by grazing on the red algae that block sunlight to the meadow. Eelgrass is vital for coastal ecosystems and is an important carbon sink.

The Show Goes On by Pietro Rojas, Guatemala

Pietro Rojas (Guatemala) documents a brown bear riding a small motorcycle, muzzled and secured to the apparatus as it circles a circus ring in Doha.

Noticing that a circus with animal acts was in town, Pietro decided to document it. What he found most compelling about this image was "the contrast between the wild nature of the animal and the human environment imposed upon it."

Many countries have banned the use of wild animals in circuses. Where brown bears are used, they often are trained to perform in unnatural postures like standing upright for long periods of time, contributing to health and behavioural problems.