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Lynx Photo Wins 2026 Wildlife Photographer People's Choice

Is "Flying Rodent" a groundbreaking wildlife photo or a powerful symbol of conservation success?

Published MAR 25

Lynx Photo Wins 2026 Wildlife Photographer People's Choice

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Above: Iberian lynx plays with its prey in Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice 2026 winner. Image credit: Josef Stefan/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/Natural History Museum

The Spin

Narrative A

Josef Stefan's "Flying Rodent" is proof that wildlife photography can move mountains — 85,917 people voted it the best, making it the most-voted People's Choice winner ever. Capturing a rare Iberian lynx tossing a rodent mid-air with a Nikon Z9 and 600mm lens, Stefan turned two weeks in a hide into a career-defining moment.

Digital Camera World

Narrative B

"Flying Rodent" winning the Nuveen People's Choice Award matters far beyond the photo itself — the Iberian lynx went from roughly 100 individuals in the early 2000s to thousands today, a 1,500% population increase driven by real conservation work. This image is a rallying cry, not just a pretty picture, showing what targeted habitat restoration, captive breeding and cross-sector collaboration can actually achieve. Photography without that conservation backbone is just decoration.

Natural History Museum