A rescued elephant, a camouflaged owl, a perfectly timed egret: These are the most stunning wildlife photos of the week

Great tit Parus major, adult standing at water's edge near Fly agaric Amanita muscaria, fungi, Suffolk, England, October — (Image credit: Paul Sawyer / Alamy)

Wildlife photography is my self-care – and looking at wildlife photos comes in at a close second. This week, I’ve been inspired by wildlife photographers around the world, from perfectly timed fishing birds to a newly rescued elephant.

These are some of the top wildlife photos that I’ve spotted this week.

A great egret mid-catch

A great egret catches a fish at Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach — (Image credit: Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Getting great wildlife movement requires patience and sometimes a bit of luck. This photo by Ronen Tivony is a perfectly timed shot of a great egret tossing a fish in its mouth – even the water droplets are frozen.

The shot was captured with the Sony A9 II, a high-end flagship mirrorless, and a 400mm lens. A 1/1600 second shutter speed freezes the action.

A bird-filled tree with a rainbow

Three Anhinga birds and a Boat-tailed Grackle populate a tree in front of a rainbow at the Wakodahatchee Wetlands on October 25, 2026 — (Image credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

This shot from Delray Beach, Florida, by Bruce Bennett mixes a variety of dark-colored birds with a spectacular rainbow background. Among the branches are three Anhinga birds and a Boat-tailed Grackle.

Bennett took the shot with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens.

A camouflaged owl tucked in a tree trunk

A long-eared owl shelters in the trunk of a tree toppled by a storm in the Karacabey Longoz Forests in Bursa, Turkiye — (Image credit: Alper Tuydes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

This long-eared owl perfectly blends with its background as it sits tucked into the trunk of a fallen tree. The photograph comes from Bursa, Turkiye, by Alper Tuydes. I love how the texture of the tree blends so seamlessly with the owl’s feathers.

A songbird amid colorful leaves and mushrooms

The colorful background and mushrooms in this photo by Paul Sawyer create a dramatic frame for the great tit (Parus Major) sitting near the water line. The photograph was taken this October in Suffolk, England.

A rescued elephant at a new sanctuary

Julie, a 45-year-old female elephant, is pictured at Pangea sanctuary in Vila Vicosa, in Alentejo region on October 22, 2026 — (Image credit: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP via Getty Images)

The elephant in this photo has a name – Julie, a 45-year-old elephant, is the last wild animal to be part of any circus in Portugal. Now, she lives in the Pangea sanctuary in Vila Viçosa, Portugal. The sanctuary is the first large-scale elephant sanctuary in Europe and covers 400 hectares.

Photographer Patricia De Melo Moreria captured the photo.