Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am - sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREESee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy CAITLIN LENG Published: 01:36 BST, 21 August 2026 | Updated: 01:42 BST, 21 August 2026
The best wildlife pictures of this year have been revealed - and all were captured by British and Irish photographers. Earlier this week, conservation charity The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) announced the fourteen winners and runners-up of their annual photography awards. The competition, which had over eight-hundred entries, judges submissions on content, composition and image quality, and aims to showcase the wonder of zoos, aquariums and nature across the regions.Categories for submissions include Mammals, Birds, Fish, Reptiles and Amphibians, Native Species (to the UK and Ireland), Invertebrates and Humans - the latter being a new group added to showcase those at the frontline of animal conservation. The winning photographs - including a glowing mushroom and muddy elephant - will be featured on BIAZA’s 2027 calendar, which also spotlights special dates for nature lovers, including David Attenborough's birthday. Dr Jo Judge, the CEO of BIAZA said: 'After a rigorous selection process, we are proud to showcase photography which demonstrates not only the wonder of wildlife, but the vital work of our member zoos and aquariums in welfare and conservation.'We believe these talented wildlife photographers have the power to inspire environmental change by revealing the wonder of the natural world.' Thomas Harris's photograph of a mucky elephant from Colchester Zoo, titled 'Still I Rise', took first place in the Mammal category A striking snap of an electric blue Vulturine from Norfolk Wildlife Reserve won the Birds category for Gareth Clifford David Lynch's up-close shot, 'Mid-nap breather', from the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth secured him first place in the Reptile category Placing first in the Native Species category was Peter Baird's glowing picture, 'Forest Lantern' Jess Reddy's contrasting blue and orange shot, titled 'Eye of the Lion', took gold in the Fish category Gareth Clifford came on top for a second time, winning the Human category with his picture 'Early Rounds', taken at Norfolk Wildlife Reserve Ellie Richard's snap of a speckled crab in Bournemouth's Oceanarium secured her first place in the Invertebrate category The Invertebrate runner-up was handed to Jennifer-Louise Read's gleaming shot taken at Chester Zoo A handsome shot of a gorilla, named 'Our Endangered Brothers' took home runner-up for Fred Wall, taken at Twycross Zoo Jonathan Isaacs captured a yellow bird building its intricate nest at Marwell Wildlife Conservation, earning him the runner-up spot in the Birds category Reptile runner-up, a picture of an open-mouthed lizard titled 'The Singing Skink', was taken by Jagz Bharth at Hertfordshire Zoo 'Tompot's Pot,' a snap by Rebekah Weatherhead of the blenny fish, secured her the runner-up spot in the Fish category Celyn Stephens's aptly-named 'The Watcher' - a striking shot of a stag - earned runner-up in the Native Species category A mystical shot taken at Whipsnade Zoo by Jo Brown took the runner-up spot in the Human category
