Austrian Photographer Triumphs in Prestigious Wildlife Photography Competition
Austrian photographer Josef Stefan has been officially declared the winner of the highly coveted Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award for 2026. This prestigious honor was bestowed upon Stefan for his remarkable photograph titled Flying Rodent, which features a young Iberian lynx engaging in playful hunting behavior in Ciudad Real, Spain.
An Image That Captures Rare Wildlife Behavior
The award, which is organized and administered by the world-renowned Natural History Museum in London, selected Stefan's photograph from an impressive shortlist of twenty-three images. These finalists were themselves chosen from an overwhelming total of 60,636 entries submitted by photographers from 113 different countries across the globe.
Stefan's winning image, Flying Rodent, masterfully captures a young Iberian lynx as it playfully tosses a rodent into the air for approximately twenty minutes. The lynx eventually grew bored with this activity and carried its prey behind a nearby bush to consume it. While it is relatively common for lynxes to play with their prey before eating, Stefan provided a fascinating insight into this particular encounter.
The photographer explained that this lynx repeatedly threw the rodent high into the air and skillfully caught it again. This unique behavior created the illusion that the rodent was actually flying, a perspective that resonated deeply with both Stefan and the multitude of viewers who voted for the image.
A Career Highlight and a Message of Conservation
In response to his victory, Stefan described the win as the absolute highlight of his three-decade-long career as a nature photographer. He emphasized that the journey to capture this specific image was far more than just another photographic expedition.
"It was the pursuit of a dream: encountering the Iberian lynx, one of the rarest and most endangered wild cats in the entire world," Stefan stated. "Winning this award and being able to platform this crucial conservation message is the pinnacle of my 30 years as a nature photographer."
Stefan further elaborated on the significance of the Iberian lynx, calling it "a living symbol of hope" that demonstrates what can be achieved when humanity takes responsibility, acts consciously, and directs attention to where it is most critically needed for wildlife preservation.
Somber Themes Among Highly Commended Entries
While Stefan's winning image captured a moment of playful interaction, many of the other highly commended photographs in the People's Choice Award presented more somber and poignant themes. These images powerfully focused on the plight of wildlife as human activities increasingly infiltrate and impact their natural habitats.
The collection of highly commended works included several striking photographs:
- Dancing in the Headlights by Will Nicholls from the UK, taken in Jasper National Park, Canada, depicting young bears playing in front of car headlights.
- Beauty Against the Beast by Alexandre Brisson from Switzerland, captured at a bird sanctuary in Walvis Bay, Namibia, showing flamingos flying past power lines.
- Family Rest by Christopher Paetkau from Canada, featuring a mother polar bear napping with her cubs after a long journey along the Hudson Bay coast.
- Never-ending Struggle by Kohei Nagira from Japan, photographed on the Notsuke Peninsula in Hokkaido, showing a sika deer carrying the interlocked severed head of a rival male that perished after their battle.
These images collectively underscore the diverse challenges facing wildlife across different ecosystems and continents, providing a broader context for the celebration of Stefan's award-winning work with the endangered Iberian lynx.
