Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023: scar-faced fox and rainbow spore shower among sneak peek selection

A mason bee hard at work, a bison dashing through a spray of powdery snow, and a tiger cub evacuated from Ukraine are part of a select group of highly commended wildlife photos available now for a sneak peek.

The images are from this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, and have been released ahead of the competition's winners being announced next month.

This year’s competition attracted an astounding 49,957 entries from photographers of all ages and experience levels, spanning 95 countries. During "an intense week at the museum", entries were judged anonymously 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 an awards ceremony hosted by wildlife TV presenters and conservationists Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin.

The competition aims to showcase some lesser-known behaviours and habitats, while exposing human impact on an increasingly fragile natural world. Caitlin Henderson was able to snap a possum munching on insects in the middle of the night outside her balcony window in Queensland, Australia.

“There were heads here, wings there,” she told PA, after capturing the marsupial dismembering a green cicada.

Among the other newly-released images are a fox in a Kent rehabilitation centre, which is recovering after being attacked - most likely by dogs - and two white storks hunting alongside a fire in Kenya that has been lit to clear bushland.

Chairwoman of the judging panel Kathy Moran said: “What most impressed the jury was the range of subjects, from absolute beauty, rarely seen behaviours and species to images that are stark reminders of what we are doing to the natural world.

“We felt a powerful tension between wonder and woe that we believe came together to create a thought-provoking collection of photographs.”

Dr Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, said: “We are facing urgent biodiversity and climate crises and photography is a powerful catalyst for change.

“The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition reveals some of nature’s most wondrous sights whilst offering hope and achievable actions visitors can take to help protect the natural world.”

How can I see the exhibition?

The competition's winners will be revealed on 10 October, then the exhibition will open on Friday, 13 October at the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, London.

It will be open from Monday to Sunday, through to 24 June next year. Tickets can be booked ahead of time on the Natural History Museum website here. It is advised people book ahead of time, with tickets often selling out quickly on the weekends.

After the London exhibition closes, the 100-strong collection will embark on a UK-wide and a world tour.