Award finalists reveal rare animal encounters from snake bites to bear pool lounging
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition has released highly commended images, including a fer-de-lance snake with a mosquito on its head, a bullfrog narrowly missing a butterfly, a camouflaged katydid, and a black bear relaxing in a California swimming pool. The photos highlight dramatic and unusual animal behaviors.
The competition spans multiple categories, with finalists drawn from Animal Portraits, Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles, Behaviour: Invertebrates, and Urban Wildlife. The Natural History Museum in London organizes the contest and will display the selected images in an exhibition running from October 16 through July 11, 2027, with the overall winner announced on October 13.
Several images capture fleeting or hidden moments that required patience and luck. One photographer returned to a site a month after spotting tadpoles to find them matured into young bullfrogs. Another pair of photographers only noticed a mosquito feeding on the snake's head after reviewing their shots. The urban bear sighting reflects growing overlap between development and wildlife habitats in California.
These images could broaden public appreciation for wildlife photography as a window into rarely observed animal behavior. The urban bear encounter may resonate with audiences facing similar wildlife intrusions, potentially fostering more informed discussions about habitat encroachment. The competition's visibility could also inspire amateur photographers and raise awareness of species like the rare katydid, though its ultimate societal impact depends on how widely these images circulate beyond the museum exhibition.