Link to newsround

Poo-pushing beetle wins Young Wildlife Photographer Award

a dung beetle pushing a ball of dung, by Oscar Whitfield, from United Kingdom but living in Zimbabwe, the winner of Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year.Oscar Whitfield / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A UK boy has won the Natural History Museum's (NHM) Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year prize for 2026.

Oscar Whitfield's photo of a dung beetle pushing along a ball of animal poo picked up both the Young Wildlife Photographer award, and the prize in the 11-14 age category.

The NHM says that dung beetles have an important role to play in nature, as breaking up and burying poo helps it decompose faster, and prevents larger quantities of methane gas entering the Earth's atmosphere.

Amelie Davis, also from the UK was announced as the winner of the of 10 years and under category with a colourful bee photo she took with her dad's phone.

This year marks the photography competition's 62nd birthday and over 65,000 talented photographers of all ages from across the globe took part.

The winners will be showcased in an exhibition at the museum from Friday 16 October. Read on to check out some of the other winners.

More amazing animal photos

a common carder bee coming into land on a flower, by Amelie Davis, from United Kingdom, the winner of 10 years and under category in Wildlife Photographer of the YearAmelie Davis / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner - 10 and under category

Amelie Davis took the top prize for the 10 years and under category, with this photo of a common carder bee in mid-flight. Amelie borrowed her dad's smartphone to snap the picture in her garden in Surrey.

Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, says: "This year's winning photographs demonstrate the extraordinary power of wildlife photography to help us see nature differently."

"Together they remind us that every species plays a role in the complex web of life, and why understanding and protecting the natural world has never been more important."

The competition opens again for next year's entries on Monday 19 October.

The NHM say photographers aged 17 and under may enter up to 10 images to the competition for free.

a young bull elephant spraying a group of zebra at a waterhole in Kenya, by James Lewin, from United Kingdom, the winner of Animals in their Environment category in Wildlife Photographer of the YeaJames Lewin / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner - Animals in their Environment

A young bull elephant turns playful at this waterhole in Kenya, spraying zebras and giraffes with water from his trunk. This incredible scene was captured by British photographer James Lewin.

A coyote pads along a trail in Bernal Heights Park, overlooking the city and bay of San Francisco by Loren Elliott, USA, the Winner, Photojournalist Story Award in the Wildlife Photographer of the YearLoren Elliot / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner - Photojournalist Story Award

A coyote looms large above the city of San Francisco in the United States. This picture was taken by Loren Elliot, and is part of a collection of photos documenting the lives of these coyotes who live so close to humans.

slime moulds, by Kutub Uddin, from Bangladesh, the winner of Urban Wildfire category in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year.Kutub Uddin / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner - Portfolio Award

What are we looking at here? Kutub Uddin took this stunning picture of slime moulds in West Sussex in the UK. Kutub says he loves exploring his local woods and studying the fascinating moulds he finds there.

fluorescent fungi, by Agorastos Papatsanis, from Greece, the winner of Plants and Fungi category in Wildlife Photographer of the YearAgorastos Papatsanis / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner - Plants and Fungi

These might look like plants from an alien planet, but they are in fact fluorescent mushrooms found on the slopes of Mount Olympus in Greece. Photographer Agorastos Papatsanis used ultraviolet light to highlight the mushrooms long, neon yellow stems.

a scorpion burrowing into one of the shifting dunes of the Thar Desert, by Sitaram Raul, from India, the winner of Winner, Behaviour: Invertebrates category in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Sitaram Raul / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Winner - Behaviour: Invertebrates

A scorpion burrows into dunes in the middle of the night in the Thar Desert in India. You can see the tail of the Buthacus scorpion, which uses its pincers to dig into the sand. The scorpions scurry around at night when its cooler, looking for prey. Photographer Sitaram Raul noticed that once the sun started to rise, they burrowed into the sand to escape the heat.