A young Iberian lynx caught mid play has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award 2026.
The striking image, titled 'Flying Rodent,' was taken by Austrian photographer Josef Stefan during a two-week stay in Torre de Juan Abad, in Spain's Ciudad Real province. He had spent several days in a hide when the young lynx suddenly appeared with its prey and began repeatedly throwing it into the air and catching it again.
For nearly 20 minutes, the lynx remained absorbed in the behaviour, at times standing on its hind legs with its gaze fixed on the rodent. 'To me, it looked as if the rodent could fly,' he recalled.
The moment ended when the animal lost interest, carrying its prey behind a bush to eat it.
The Iberian lynx is one of the world's rarest wildcats and was on the brink of extinction in the early 2000s, with fewer than 100 individuals remaining. Thanks to long-term conservation and reintroduction efforts, the population has recovered to more than 2,000, though it still remains a vulnerable species.
This year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award received a record-breaking 85,917 votes from nature photography fans worldwide. The winning image, along with four highly commended finalists, will be displayed online and at London's Natural History Museum until the exhibition closes on Sunday, 12 July 2026.
The striking image, titled 'Flying Rodent,' was taken by Austrian photographer Josef Stefan during a two-week stay in Torre de Juan Abad, in Spain's Ciudad Real province. He had spent several days in a hide when the young lynx suddenly appeared with its prey and began repeatedly throwing it into the air and catching it again.
For nearly 20 minutes, the lynx remained absorbed in the behaviour, at times standing on its hind legs with its gaze fixed on the rodent. 'To me, it looked as if the rodent could fly,' he recalled.
The moment ended when the animal lost interest, carrying its prey behind a bush to eat it.
The Iberian lynx is one of the world's rarest wildcats and was on the brink of extinction in the early 2000s, with fewer than 100 individuals remaining. Thanks to long-term conservation and reintroduction efforts, the population has recovered to more than 2,000, though it still remains a vulnerable species.
This year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award received a record-breaking 85,917 votes from nature photography fans worldwide. The winning image, along with four highly commended finalists, will be displayed online and at London's Natural History Museum until the exhibition closes on Sunday, 12 July 2026.
