The image of an Iberian lynx playing with its prey has won the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award for 2026.
Standing on its hind legs with one paw flung out, the lynx seems both playful and predatory, batting around an unfortunate rodent as a precursor to killing and eating it.
More than 85,000 people voted in the annual competition organized by London’s Natural History Museum, choosing between 24 shortlisted photos. That shortlist was selected from 60,636 total entries, and is separate to the overall competition, whose winner was announced in October.