A peeping polar bear and bullfrog’s near miss: Wildlife Photographer of Year 2026 first look

Icy Window' - a polar bear from a seal’s perspective as it gazes down a breathing hole in the Arctic sea ice, north of Svalbard, Norway. - (PA)

A curious polar bear peering into a seal’s breathing hole and an oxpecker wiping its beak on a rhino’s skin are among 100 winning pictures selected for this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

Organised by London’s Natural History Museum, the world-leading contest released a preview of several awarded shots from its 62nd year, which received a record total of over 65,000 entries.