Full Breakdown
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025: Celebrating Nature's Resilience
10/15/2025, 11:04:28 AM
Grand Prize Winner: A Haunting Encounter
Wim van den Heever, a South African wildlife photographer, has been awarded the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 for his striking image titled "Ghost Town Visitor." The photograph features a brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea) prowling the ruins of Kolmanskop, an abandoned diamond mining town in Namibia. Captured using camera trap technology, this image is the culmination of a decade of effort, as van den Heever meticulously set up traps after discovering hyena tracks in the area. The brown hyena, classified as the rarest hyena species in the world, is nocturnal and primarily solitary, making sightings exceptionally rare.
The Significance of the Image
The photograph has been described as an "eerie juxtaposition of the wild reclaiming human civilization." Kathy Moran, Chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Jury, remarked, "You get a prickly feeling just looking at this image and you know that you're in this hyena's realm." The image not only highlights the resilience of wildlife in abandoned human spaces but also serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between nature and human activity.
Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year
The Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 award went to Andrea Dominizi from Italy for his poignant image "After the Destruction." This photograph captures a longhorn beetle (Morimus asper) against the backdrop of abandoned logging machinery in the Lepini Mountains, Italy. The image tells a compelling story of habitat loss, emphasizing the critical role that beetles play in ecosystems by recycling nutrients from dead wood.
Impact Award: A Story of Hope
Brazilian photographer Fernando Faciole received the Impact Award for his image "Orphan of the Road," which depicts an orphaned giant anteater pup following its caregiver at a rehabilitation center. This photograph highlights the consequences of road collisions, a significant threat to wildlife, and underscores the importance of conservation efforts aimed at protecting vulnerable species.
Other Notable Winners
The competition featured a record-breaking 60,636 entries from 113 countries, showcasing a diverse array of wildlife photography. Other category winners included:
- Animals in their Environment: Shane Gross for "Like an Eel out of Water," depicting moray eels scavenging at low tide in the Seychelles.
- Behaviour: Mammals: Dennis Stogsdill for "Cat Amongst the Flamingos," capturing a caracal hunting a lesser flamingo in Tanzania.
- Behaviour: Birds: Qingrong Yang for "Synchronised Fishing," illustrating a ladyfish snatching prey from beneath a little egret's beak in China.
Exhibition Details
The winning photographs will be displayed at the Natural History Museum in London starting October 17, 2025, and will run until July 12, 2026. This exhibition aims to inspire appreciation and conservation of the natural world, showcasing the beauty and complexity of wildlife through powerful visual storytelling.
Conclusion
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition continues to serve as a vital platform for raising awareness about environmental issues and the intricate relationships between humans and nature. The winning images from 2025 not only celebrate artistic achievement but also provoke thought and discussion about the future of our planet and its inhabitants.
