A striking photograph of a mother polar bear and her three cubs napping along the Hudson Bay coast in Canada has been shortlisted for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Nuveen People’s Choice Award 2026.
Titled “Family Rest,” the image was taken by photographer Christopher Paetkau, who captured the bears pausing in the summer heat as they made their way north toward the Arctic. In the photograph, the mother and one cub have dozed off, while the other two cubs remain alert, resting their heads on their mother’s back.
A Stark Reminder of Climate Change
The image also highlights the growing pressures polar bears face due to global warming. Unlike other bear species, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) do not hibernate, and traditionally, they spent the year on sea ice hunting their preferred prey: ringed seals and bearded seals.
With ice melting earlier and forming later each year, many polar bears are forced to seek land-based food sources, such as reindeer, disrupting their natural hunting patterns.
Another Heartbreaking Polar Bear Image
Another polar bear photograph has also been shortlisted for the People’s Choice Award. This image shows a cub on a hunting trip in the Svalbard archipelago, Norway, which ended tragically. The mother was later found dead, and authorities shot the cub after it appeared aggressive near a human settlement, underscoring the dangerous overlap of wildlife and human activity in fragile Arctic regions.
Public Voting and Exhibition
Voting for the Nuveen People’s Choice Award is open online until March 18, 2026, allowing the public to select their favorite from 24 shortlisted images chosen by the Natural History Museum, London, and a panel of wildlife and photography experts. The winner, along with four runners-up, will be announced March 25.
Douglas Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, described this year’s entries as “truly exceptional, showcasing fascinating behaviour and powerful stories.”
The winning image will be displayed alongside 100 photographs from last year’s competition in an exhibition at the museum, which will remain open until July 2026.