Puma's hunt and sleep on the ice: the best wildlife photos selected
The best photographs in the "Animals in Their Environment" category at the Siena International Photo Awards 2026 international photo contest have been announced. First place was taken by the photograph "Fight for Life," which depicts a puma's attempt to catch a guanaco.
Puma's hunt and sleep on ice: the best wildlife photos selected
Naked Science presented a selection of photos from the competition winners and highly commended works by the judges. They capture predators hunting, animals caring for their young, and unexpected encounters in nature.
**First place — "Fight for Life", Kevin Shi**
The photographer spent several days observing a female puma feeding her two cubs. In the morning, the predator quietly approached a guanaco and attacked. The puma made repeated attempts to bring down her prey and bite its neck, but the guanaco ultimately escaped.
**Second place — "High Mountains", Marco Gaiotti**
The photo depicts a gelada sitting on a cliff in the Ethiopian highlands at sunset. Found only in Ethiopia, this primate is distinguished by a reddish patch on its chest. Its diet consists almost entirely of grass.
**Third place — "Sleeping Beauty", Félix Belluin**
In the summer of 2025, the photographer was on a ship sailing through thick Arctic ice north of Svalbard. Spotting something resembling fur on a distant ice slope, he launched a drone.
Looking closer, a polar bear was seen curled up asleep in a hollow beside a bright blue ice formation. To avoid disturbing the animal, the photographer kept the drone high, took the picture, and moved away.
**"Flight with Baby", Douglas Gimesi**
The highly commended photo captures a grey-headed flying fox — a large bat — flying through the trees near Melbourne carrying her baby. The pups cling to their mother until they grow too heavy. After that, they remain in the trees with other young ones, waiting for their mothers to return.