The German Society For Nature Photography Has Chosen The Best Wildlife Photographs In Europe

The German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) has announced the winning images of this year's European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The overall winner, Javier Aznar González de Rueda from Spain, has taken the top prize for his image titled "Maternal Care."

This year's edition of the competition attracted photographers from 42 European countries. An international five-member jury spent three days selecting the 107 award-winning photos across nine standard categories and two special categories.

Scroll down to view the best 66 images we've selected for you and to read our interview with the winner of the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023, Javier Aznar González de Rueda.

More info: Instagram | gdtfoto.de

13 PHOTOS

#1 Underwater World, Runner Up: Flamenco Pose By Magnus Lundgren, Sweden

Pictolic contacted the overall winner of this year’s competition and asked some questions about the photo “Maternal Care” and his work. First, we wanted the photographer to share the story behind capturing this extraordinary moment in Ecuador's Yasuní National Park. Javier Aznar González de Rueda told us: “In 2021 I spent some time in a lodge inside the Yasuni National Park (Mandari Panga Jungle Expeditions) taking photos of insects and other animals. During that time I observed for two weeks a female stink bug of the species Antiteuchus tripterus, that was guarding its clutch of eggs on a small branch. This behavior has been reported for other true bug species. But to my surprise, it turned out that the mother bugs not only protected the eggs but also the newly hatched larvae up to their first molt. Maternal care significantly increases the offspring's chances of survival since there are many predators and parasitoids such as ichneumon wasps who can kill the brood.”

#2 Landscapes, Finalist: Land Under The Sea By Angel Fitor, Spain

#3 Other Animals, Finalist: Calumma Oshaughnessyi By Petr Bambousek, Czech Republic

"Maternal Care" showcases a stink bug's exceptional maternal care behavior. We were wondering if the photographer could tell us more about the challenges and techniques involved in documenting this behavior over a two-week period. Javier said: “The challenge was to return every day and many times in order to check the stage of the eggs and if they hatched. During two weeks, many things can happen to the stink bug, from a predator feeding on it to parasitoids laying eggs inside the stink bug egg. It was an easy subject to photograph since it was quiet sitting on the eggs while protecting them.”

#4 Plants And Fungi, Finalist: Veil Of Spores By Agorastos Papatsanis, Greece

#5 Mammals, Finalist: Final Moment By Bernd Nill, Germany

We wanted to know how the photographer believes his images can contribute to raising awareness about the need to protect wildlife and the environment. We found out that: “My photos contribute to understanding the world of the unseen animals, showcasing their lives, and the threats around them. We as humans only protect what we care about, and there is a world out there that most people don't know about, so with my work, I try to bring attention to these very unknown animals in order to protect them.”

#6 Birds, Finalist: One Step Forward By Tom Robinson, Great Britain

#7 Plants And Fungi, Finalist: Treasures Of The Sea By César Llaneza Rodríguez, Spain

The photographer continued: “Insects are especially vulnerable to our global actions and their populations have decreased to alarming numbers in the last decades, and we definitely need them in order to survive. They are some of the most important pillars in the ecosystems and we are killing them. Without insects the world we know would disappear, so we'd better conserve them for our own good. With my photos from a close and personal perspective, I try to connect the people with the tiny organisms who surround us.”

#8 Other Animals, Runner Up: Nest Building By Solvin Zankl, Germany

#9 Mammals, Finalist: Inside A Tree Den By Jan Piecha, Germany

Lastly, asked about upcoming projects or initiatives he’s currently working on, Javier shared with us: “I have many projects that I would like to work on and many others that I am working on now that I can't share until they are finished. But for now, I am still working, showcasing the natural history of the rainforest animals.”

#10 Underwater World, Finalist: Frogfish On A Throne By Gabriel Barathieu, Mayotte

#11 Birds, Finalist: Pen And Inkwell By Jonathan Lhoir, France

#12 Other Animals, Finalist: Host Art By Cristobal Serrano, Spain

#13 Mammals, Finalist: Chimera By Ilkka Niskanen, Finland