Heartbreaking Series on Sri Lankan Elephants Wins Nature inFocus 2024

The Nature inFocus Photography Awards has announced its 2024 winners. And once again, they deliver awe-inspiring photos, showcasing the beauty, complexity, and fragility of the natural world. With a record-breaking 14,180 entries from 42 countries, the 2024 winners showcase breathtaking wildlife moments. But it’s more than just photography – they also highlight critical conservation issues.

Portfolio winner

The prestigious Photographer of the Year – Portfolio award went to Supun Dilshan for Trapped Between Worlds. His deeply moving series documents the struggles of Sri Lankan elephants as they navigate human-altered landscapes. His images tell a powerful story of displacement and survival, illustrating the ongoing conflict between development and wildlife preservation.

“It’s heartbreaking to see development at loggerheads with the places these wild animals call home,” said Anish Andheria, The President of Wildlife Conservation Trust. “Their habitat is already shrinking at an alarming rate due to multiple anthropogenic factors. But with the rise of linear infrastructure, especially in regions like India and Sri Lanka, we’re only going to see more of these come up. This is one of the greatest threats to wildlife today.”

Category winners

The contest honors photographers across multiple categories, each revealing different aspects of the natural world:

• Wildscapes
• Animals in Their Habitat
• Animal Portraits
• Animal Behaviour
• Conservation Photography
• Creative Nature Photography
• Young Photographer Award: Recognizing talent among those 17 and under

More than just photography

Nature inFocus is more than just a competition—it’s a movement. Founded in Bangalore by Rohit Varma and Kalyan Varma in 2014, it has grown into a vibrant community of wildlife photographers, filmmakers, and conservationists. Each year, the contest helps raise awareness about pressing environmental issues, urging us to protect the fragile ecosystems these images capture so beautifully.

Take a look at the category winners and runner-ups in the gallery below. And for anyone who loves wildlife, conservation, or nature photography, the full gallery is available on the contest website. Make sure to also follow Nature inFocus on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

More from Nature inFocus Photography Awards

• The winners of this year’s Nature inFocus contest show nature at its most dramatic
• Nature inFocus 2022 winners show all the beauty and drama of the natural world
• Heartbreaking photos of disappearing mangrove forest win Nature inFocus Photography Awards 2023
• Heartbreaking Series on Sri Lankan Elephants Wins Nature inFocus 2024
• 2025 Nature inFocus Winners Will Change How You See the Planet

Category winners

Runner-ups

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