A forest rodeo, a hidden stargazer and a mason bee at work are just a few of the awe-inspiring images featured in the 59th wildlife photographer of the year competition.

The Natural History Museum in London will unveil the latest wildlife photographer of the year exhibition showcasing 100 extraordinary photographs from around the world on 13 October 2023.

This year’s competition attracted an astounding 49,957 entries from photographers of all ages and experience levels from 95 countries. Entries were judged on their creativity, originality, and technical excellence by an international panel of industry experts.

The winners of each category, and the prestigious grand title and young grand title awards, will be announced on 10 October 2023 at a ceremony hosted by wildlife television presenters and conservationists Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin

Coot on ice, by Zhai Zeyu, China: Highly commended, 10 years and under

Zeyu captures a coot as it struggles to stay upright on ice with a wriggling loach in its mouth. Zeyu waited in the cold, watching coots as they moved across a frozen pond in north-east China. This coot had been scrambling in the water for food and eventually caught a loach. Common coots are among the most widespread birds, with a range that extends across Europe and Asia and into north Africa and Australia. They require large areas of open water with nearby cover for nesting, and populations can be affected when their habitat is disturbed by humans. Location: Dalian, Liaoning, China

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