Orcas have been documented killing great white sharks in South Africa, the Gulf of California, Australia and elsewhere, often turning the sharks onto their backs and eating their energy-rich livers. Researchers describe the hunts as coordinated, sophisticated behavior that may be learned within family groups. The attacks, together with warming waters and other pressures, are prompting great whites to abandon established habitats. Their displacement is reshaping local food webs, affecting species including African penguins, seals and smaller sharks, while adding to concerns about already vulnerable shark populations.

Photographer Federico Veronesi’s award-winning image shows a Namibian desert elephant carrying a stillborn calf. Conservation director Christin Winter says the 14-year-old female was not the calf’s mother and has repeatedly carried other elephants’ stillborn calves since losing her own. Experts suggest the behavior may reflect emotional processing, trauma, or an attempt to protect the body, while observations of elephants attending to dead companions provide further evidence of grief-like behavior. Namibia’s desert elephant population has declined amid prolonged drought and conflict with people over water. High newborn mortality may be linked to premature births and chronic stress; EHRA is collaborating with researcher Daniella Chusyd on a study of environmental and physiological factors through 2028. Elephant expert Joyce Poole also criticizes sport-hunting licenses, while Veronesi hopes the image will encourage people to value individual elephants and their welfare.

Photographer Federico Veronesi documented a Namibian elephant carrying a stillborn calf that was not her own. The 14-year-old female, who lost her own calf two years earlier, has reportedly carried other dead calves on four occasions, a behavior researchers say may reflect grief, trauma or an attempt to protect the bodies. Experts describe elephant mourning behaviors, while conservationists warn that Namibia’s desert elephant population is declining amid drought and conflict with people over water. Researchers are investigating whether environmental stress, chronic stress and inbreeding contribute to high calf mortality; an EHRA study is planned through 2028. Conservationist Joyce Poole also criticizes sport-hunting permits, and Veronesi argues that conservation should protect individual elephants as well as the species.

A prize-winning photograph by Federico Veronesi documents a Namibian desert elephant carrying a stillborn calf that belonged to another female. Conservation director Christin Winter says the 14-year-old elephant has repeatedly carried other females’ stillborn calves since losing her own, a rare behavior that may reflect emotional processing or an attempt to protect the bodies. The account also highlights the decline of Namibia’s desert elephant population, linking it to prolonged drought, conflict with people over water, and high calf mortality. Researchers are investigating whether chronic stress and environmental factors contribute to premature births and deaths. Elephant expert Joyce Poole urges greater protection, while Veronesi argues that conservation should consider the well-being of individual elephants as well as the survival of the species.

Photographer Federico Veronesi’s award-winning image shows a Namibian desert elephant carrying a stillborn calf, behavior later found to have occurred repeatedly in a 14-year-old female that lost her own calf. Experts suggest the carrying may reflect grief, trauma, or an effort to protect the body, while noting that elephant mourning is also observed in other contexts. Namibia’s desert elephant population has declined amid prolonged drought, conflict with people over water, and exceptionally high calf mortality. The conservation group EHRA is investigating possible environmental and chronic-stress effects, while researchers plan to examine health indicators and genetic factors. Conservationists say the elephants’ emotional lives and individual welfare deserve greater attention.

Orcas have been documented killing great white sharks in South Africa, Mexico, California and Australia, often turning the sharks onto their backs to immobilize them and eating their energy-rich livers. Researchers say coordinated hunting, social learning and, in some cases, attacks by individual orcas enable this behavior, though it remains unclear whether the tactic is new or simply more visible because of drones and cameras. Great whites are leaving traditional gathering areas where orcas appear, adding pressure to already declining populations. Their disappearance is also reshaping marine food webs, affecting prey and other species, including endangered African penguins.

Scientists have documented orcas killing great white sharks and selectively eating their energy-rich livers, with cases reported in South Africa, California, and Australia. Orcas can coordinate to overturn sharks and induce tonic immobility, while some, including the orca Starboard, have demonstrated they can hunt alone. Researchers say the behavior may be learned within orca groups and may have been occurring unnoticed before drones and underwater cameras made it easier to observe. In South Africa, great whites abruptly disappeared from former gathering areas after attacks; warming waters may also bring sharks and orcas into closer contact in some regions, creating new opportunities for predation and potentially altering marine ecosystems.

Photographer Federico Veronesi documented a 14-year-old Namibian desert elephant carrying a stillborn calf that was not her own. Conservation director Christin Winter says the elephant has carried other elephants’ stillborn calves on four occasions since losing her own calf two years earlier; the behavior may reflect emotional processing or an effort to protect the body. The images, one of which won the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, draw attention to elephant grief and the vulnerability of Namibia’s desert elephant population. Experts point to prolonged drought, conflict with people over water, and unusually high newborn mortality as major concerns. Researchers are examining environmental contaminants, stress hormones, and possible inbreeding, while conservationists call for stronger protections.

Photographer Federico Veronesi photographed a 14-year-old Namibian desert elephant carrying a stillborn calf that was not her own. The elephant had lost her own calf two years earlier and has since been seen carrying other stillborn calves on four occasions. Researchers suggest the behavior may reflect emotional processing or an attempt to protect the calf, while experts describe elephants as capable of grief. Namibia’s desert-elephant population has declined amid drought and conflict with people over water; newborn mortality is also high, with only two of 16 calves surviving between 2014 and 2022. Elephant Human Relations Aid and researcher Daniella Chusyd are investigating possible environmental and chronic-stress factors. The award-winning photographs are intended to encourage understanding of elephant emotions and support their protection.

Photographer Federico Veronesi documented a 14-year-old Namibian desert elephant carrying a stillborn calf, a behavior she has reportedly repeated after losing her own calf. Conservationist Christin Winter suggests it may reflect emotional processing or an effort to protect the body, while elephant expert Joyce Poole describes similar grieving behavior and urges greater protection. Namibia’s desert elephant population has declined amid prolonged drought and escalating conflict with people over water. New research is examining whether chronic stress, environmental contaminants, and inbreeding contribute to very high newborn mortality. Veronesi’s award-winning photographs are intended to deepen understanding of elephants’ emotional lives and the need to protect individual animals.