The photo of an elephant carrying its deceased calf won an international photo contest
Italian Federico Veronesi won the grand prize of the international Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition by photographing a female elephant carrying her dead calf. His work was also named the winner in the "Mammal Behaviour" category.
The image of an elephant carrying its dead calf took first place in an international photo contest
While tracking elephants in the Huab River valley in Namibia, the photographer noticed unusual drag marks in the sand of the dry riverbed. Upon approaching the elephant herd, he realized where these tracks had come from.
A female elephant in the group was carrying her dead calf. The calf's leg was wedged between its mother's tusk and trunk.
Various behaviors related to death have been observed in Asian and African elephants. They make distinctive sounds, guard the bodies of their deceased herd mates, inspect and touch their bones, and sometimes carry them around.
Some researchers say these actions may be related to elephants' awareness of death, while others interpret them as a possible expression of grief.