Tūhura Otago Museum marketing manager Charlie Buchan admires a photo of a kea, by Giles Bryant, which was a finalist in last year’s Wildlife Photography Competition. Photo: Peter McIntoshSomething appears to have clicked after the number of entries in this year’s Tūhura Otago Museum annual photography competition shattered the previous record. Museum exhibitions manager and competition judge Shanaya Cunningham said submissions for the 2026 competition had now closed and the number of entries has almost doubled, to "an impressive" 9372 photographs. Of those, 5717 entries came from photographers outside Otago, highlighting the strong national appetite for wildlife photography and conservation storytelling. The winning photographs will then be announced later this year and featured in another public exhibition at Tūhura Otago Museum.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 10, 2026 16:05 UTC