A young Iberian lynx caught mid play has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award 2026.
The striking image, titled Flying Rodent, was taken by Austrian photographer Josef Stefan during a two-week stay in Torre de Juan Abad, in Spain's Ciudad Real province.
He had spent several days in a hide when the young lynx suddenly appeared with its prey and began repeatedly throwing it into the air and catching it again.
For nearly 20 minutes, the lynx remained absorbed in the behaviour, at times standing on its "hind legs with its gaze fixed on the rodent", he said. "To me, it looked as if the rodent could fly."
The moment ended when the animal lost interest, carrying its prey behind a bush to eat it.
