Wim van den Heever has been named the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 for his image of a brown hyena in Namibia’s Kolmanskop ghost town, a shot that required ten years of patience. The competition, organized by the Natural History Museum in London, showcases stunning wildlife photography that often highlights pressing environmental issues.
Van den Heever set up a camera trap after spotting hyena tracks in the abandoned diamond mining settlement of Kolmanskop. The brown hyena, the rarest of all hyena species, is primarily nocturnal and solitary, making it extremely difficult to photograph. He spent a decade searching for the perfect shot, often finding only traces of the elusive animal. His perseverance paid off when he captured the hyena standing beside the ruins, earning him the top prize at the Natural History Museum in London.
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition attracts entries from around the globe, with categories spanning various age groups and themes. Among the other winners is Andrea Dominizi from Italy, who won the Junior Grand Prize for his photo “After the Destruction,” depicting a beetle on a cut log in a deforested area, symbolizing habitat loss. Similarly, Sebastian Frölich from Germany highlighted wetland conservation with his image “Vanishing Pond,” emphasizing the importance of peat bogs as carbon sinks.
In the Animals in their Environment category, Shane Gross from Canada won with “Like an Eel out of Water,” showing peppered moray eels scavenging at low tide in the Seychelles. Gross spent weeks enduring harsh conditions to capture the scene. Meanwhile, Jamie Smart from the UK, winner in the 10 Years and Under category, photographed an orb-weaver spider in its web, aiming to change perceptions about often-feared creatures.
Many winning images carry strong conservation messages. For instance, Ralph Pace from the USA won the Underwater category with “Survival Purse,” featuring a swell shark egg case, highlighting the decline of kelp forests in Monterey Bay. Similarly, Jon A Juárez from Spain documented rhino conservation efforts in Kenya, showing the first successful embryo transfer in white rhinos, a milestone in saving critically endangered species.
The competition also addresses human-wildlife conflicts. Audun Rikardsen from Norway won in the Oceans category with “The Feast,” depicting gulls swarming around fishing vessels, pointing to the issue of seabird bycatch. In another example, Fernando Faciole from Brazil won the Impact Award for “Orphan of the Road,” showing an orphaned giant anteater pup, highlighting the threat of road collisions to wildlife.
Beyond conservation, the photos showcase artistic excellence and technical skill. Simone Baumeister from Germany won in Natural Artistry with “Caught in the Headlights,” a kaleidoscopic image of a spider silhouetted against traffic lights, created by manipulating her lens. Chien Lee from Malaysia won the Plants and Fungi category with “Deadly Allure,” using UV light to reveal how pitcher plants lure prey.
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition opens at the Natural History Museum on October 17, 2025, featuring 100 standout photographs. These images not only celebrate the beauty of nature but also serve as a powerful reminder of the urgent need for conservation efforts worldwide. The competition continues to inspire both photographers and the public to engage with and protect the natural world.