From a mud-loving elephant and an intensely patterned lionfish to a tiny crab hiding among anemone tentacles, the BIAZA Photo Competition 2026 offers a wonderfully varied look at the animals, wildlife, and people connected to zoos and aquariums across Britain and Ireland.
Organized by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), this year’s competition received more than 800 entries across seven categories. Fourteen photographs were ultimately selected as winners and runners-up, covering mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, fish, invertebrates, native species, and humans. The competition also expanded its scope this year by adding a new Human category, created to recognize the people working on the front lines of animal care, conservation, and welfare. It follows the introduction of the Native Species category in 2025, which broadened the contest beyond zoo and aquarium residents to include wildlife found in the surrounding natural world.
Scroll down to see all of the 2026 winners and runners-up, and let us know which photograph stood out to you the most.
