The most beautiful (and sometimes most poignant) photos of life on Earth

Federico Veronesi won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition with a poignant photo of an elephant carrying her deceased calf. The competition received a record 65,403 entries from around the world. Elephants exhibit unique behaviors around death, suggesting they may grieve or seek to understand it. Other notable winners included Francisco Negroni for a photo of a poached puma and Agorastos Papatsanis for capturing fluorescent mushrooms on Mount Olympus. The competition highlights the beauty and challenges of wildlife photography, showcasing the emotional and ecological narratives behind each image.