Every year, photographers from around the world venture into the wild — chasing fleeting moments that capture the soul of our planet’s most incredible creatures. The year 2025 was no different, but this time, the bar was raised sky-high. Across jungles, deserts, oceans, and mountaintops, photographers pushed their creative and emotional limits to bring us images that stop time, stir emotions, and tell stories words could never express.
In this curated collection, we’ve gathered 35 award-winning wildlife photos that stood out in various prestigious competitions around the globe — from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Nature TTL Awards to the Sony World Photography Awards and BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition. These breathtaking shots don’t just show animals; they reveal moments of raw survival, intimate emotion, and the wild beauty that defines life on Earth.
Each photograph is a reminder that nature isn’t just scenic — it’s dramatic, unpredictable, and untamed. From a lion’s silent gaze in the golden savanna to a snow leopard blending perfectly into the Himalayas, these images reflect the unbreakable bond between patience, passion, and purpose. Wildlife photographers often wait for hours — sometimes days — for that one shot that speaks louder than any roar or flutter.
These 2025 winners prove that wildlife photography is more than art; it’s a form of storytelling that protects what it portrays. Every click is a tribute to the planet’s fragile balance — and a call to appreciate, respect, and preserve the wild places that keep our world alive.
#1. Wildlife Photographer of the Year – Winner: "Ghost Town Visitor" by Wim van den Heever
"Wim van den Heever (South Africa) photographs this haunting scene of a brown hyena among the skeletal remains of a long-abandoned diamond mining town.
With sea fog rolling in from the Atlantic Ocean, Wim chose this spot for his camera trap after noticing hyena tracks nearby. ‘It took me 10 years to finally get this one single image of a brown hyena, in the most perfect frame imaginable.’
The rarest hyena species in the world, brown hyenas are nocturnal and mostly solitary. They are known to pass through Kolmanskop on their way to hunt Cape fur seal pups or scavenge for carrion washed ashore along the Namib Desert coast."
#2. Wildlife Photographer of the Year – Behavious Mammals – Winner: "Cat Amongst the Flamingos" by Dennis Stogsdill
"Dennis Stogsdill (USA) witnesses a caracal hunting a lesser flamingo in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
Dennis had been keeping an eye out for wild cats such as servals for several days when a call came over the radio: one had been seen at Ndutu Lake. But it wasn’t a serval. It was a caracal, successfully hunting wading lesser flamingos."
#3. Wildlife Photographer of the Year – Behavious Birds – Winner: "Synchronised Fishing" by Qingrong Yang
"Qingrong Yang (China) perfects photographic timing to show a ladyfish snatching its prey from right under this little egret’s beak.
Qingrong was at Yundang Lake near his home, a place he visits regularly to photograph the feeding frenzies: little egrets patrol the surface, ready to pounce on fish leaping to escape underwater predators."
#4. 1839 Wildlife Photography Awards – Winner: "Emperor family" by Risto Raunio
"Emperor parents are feeding their chick on the ice of Antarctica."
#5. 1839 Wildlife Photography Awards – Silver: "Blue Hour Guardian" by Alexander Tasho
"Just before sunrise, this cheetah lay perfectly still, deciding whether I was a threat or not before taking a drink. It felt like I’d stumbled into a painting, where even time had stopped to look."
#6. 1839 Wildlife Photography Awards – Silver: "Apollp flight" by Paal Hermansen
"Apollo flying off against cloudbank."
#7. 1839 Wildlife Photography Awards – Bronze: "The Power of Africa" by Barbara Fleming
"The Cape Buffalo, one of Africa’s most powerful animals, embodies untamed beauty that often goes unnoticed. Its imposing, dark presence commands respect. I aimed to capture its drama and mystery by underexposing the image, highlighting its enigmatic essence."
#8. 1839 Wildlife Photography Awards – Bronze: "Midnight hunters" by Wayne Sorensen
"This image was taken from an underground hide in Kenya after midnight. I could scarcely believe my eyes as not one, but six lions materialised from the darkness. They drank their fill from the waterhole before disappearing once more into the darkness of night to continue their hunt."
#9. European Wildlife Photographer of the Year – Overall Winner: "Silent Despair" by Luca Lorenz
"Silent despair – and not only from the mouse’s perspective! I had spent many days in a German forest observing a pair of Eurasian pygmy owls (Glaucidium passerinum) nesting in a tree hollow, when, one day, the female vanished – probably taken by a tawny owl or a goshawk. About a week later, the young owlets emerged from the hollow and perched on nearby branches, still unable to fly. The male was struggling to care for them on his own.
The morning after the chicks’ first night outside of the hollow, I found the male clutching a mouse in his talons. He held it for minutes on end – an unusual sight. He made no attempt to eat the prey as it was clearly intended for the chicks. Again and again, he called, but the chicks did not answer. As I took this photograph, I felt the despair in his searching eyes. The owlets never returned. Most likely they had fallen victim to a predator during the night. It was a heart-wrenching scene."
#10. European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Birds – Winner: "Swan lake" by Terje Kolaas
#11. European Wildlife Photographer of the Year , Other Animals – Winner: "Amongst the stars" by Tibor Litauszki
#12. Monovisions Photography Awards – 1st Place Winner: "Acacia Tree with Giraffe" by Xuejun Long, China
"Being illuminated by each other is what it means to meet. The acacia tree has thorns and secretes venom, while also parasitizes a type of ant to defend against external enemies. But the year-round arms race between giraffes and acacia has evolved various means to deal with these obstacles."
#13. Monovisions Photography Awards – 2nd Place Winner: "Wildebeest" by Rajiv Bhambri, United States
"I took this photograph in Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya during the wildebeest migration in late July 2024. Our guide spotted a herd moving towards the river, and we decided to wait on a hill top on the opposite bank. After sometime, a group of wildebeest came down to the riverbank to drink water, and then ran back up the way they had come to the grassland. I was able to capture a few pictures of this brief mass movement of wildebeest running together, stirring up the dust with their hooves."
#14. Monovisions Photography Awards – 3rd Place Winner: "Power of Three" by Miles Hewitt-Boorman, United Kingdom
"I watched as this mother and her cubs were initially chased off of a walrus carcass and retreat. However they regathered and together returned and reclaimed their meal."
#15. Refocus Color Photography Awards – Gold: "Incoming" by Maddison Woollard
"This is my only capture of this adult Australian fur seal. The pups were curious and playful, this fella would float in the distance ignoring us. A younger seal was chasing and nibbling him, and that interaction sent him charging in my direction. Unveiling this remarkable, dynamic encounter."
#16. Refocus Color Photography Awards – Silver: "Surrounded By Love" by Jacquie Matechuk
"In the vast expanse of the Maasai, the soft light of dusk gives way to a scene of profound, almost sacred intimacy. A family of elephants stands close together — whose true majesty lies not in their size, but in the depth of their connection, a bond as old as time itself."
#17. Refocus Color Photography Awards – Bronze: "Snowy Owl I see You" by Kathy Sergio
#18. The Artist Gallery Awards – 1st Place: "The Turtle Throne" by Louis Richter, Australia
"This is a photo taken on the Ningaloo reef in Western Australia. I came across this green sea turtle laying perfectly on a plate coral surrounded by chromis."
#19. The Artist Gallery Awards – 2nd Place: "Jungle Rule" by Xiaoping Lin, China
"On the turbulent sea surface, as soon as the egret caught a small fish, the fierce big fish rushed out of the water, opened its big mouth, and prepared to snatch the small fish. Under the law of the jungle where the weak prey, who would the small fish belong to?"
#20. The Artist Gallery Awards – 3rd Place: "I’ve Got It" by Barbara Case, USA
"An Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear plows through the water as it chases a salmon."
#21. ReFocus B&W Wildlife Photography Awards – Gold: "The Watchman" by Jacquie Matechuk
"Behind the brush I see a shadow drifting. I watch as he delicately weaves his burly fingers through the twisted branches. Gently pulling back the veil to reveal his face. He’s a young silverback, second in command. But loyal to his family, he is their guardian; the Watchman."
#22. ReFocus B&W Wildlife Photography Awards – Silver: "Regal Majesty: The Golden Eagle Unveiled" by Fernanda Narchi Harp
"In a sanctuary of golden eagles, I captured black-and-white portraits revealing their strength, beauty, and symbolic power. Each image honors their spirit and cultural legacy—an ode to freedom, nature, and the delicate details that make them truly majestic."
#23. ReFocus B&W Wildlife Photography Awards – Bronze: "The Conversationalists" by Preeti & Prashant Chacko
"Two visually contrasting figures meet: a towering behemoth of stone grey and a delicate wisp of white. The rhino slightly raises its massive head almost in acknowledgment of a secret whisper from the egret. In this fleeting moment, power and fragility coexist, bound by an unspoken understanding."
#24. ReFocus B&W Wildlife Photography Awards – Bronze: "Wait for MEEEEE!" by Vicki Santello
"A Chinstrap penguin tags along with three porpoising gentoos. It wasn’t until I reviewed the image on my computer that I realized there was a chinstrap penguin tagging along with his bigger friends, the gentoos for a total of 4 individuals. I got the image from the bottom of a Zodiac."
#25. ReFocus B&W Wildlife Photography Awards – Honorable Mention: "Born to Soar" by Jason Marino
#26. ReFocus B&W Wildlife Photography Awards – Honorable Mention: "Eyes to the Soul" by Tracey Dyer
#27. Fine Art Wildlife Photography Awards – 1st place winner: "Curious" by Stefan Gerrits
"It was bitterly cold, -34°C. The Siberian Jay (Perisoreus infaustus), a naturally curious bird, is even more so in such harsh conditions. Drawn by the sounds of human activity, they approach, hoping for food. In its natural surroundings, this frozen wilderness, surrounded by photogenic, snow-laden pines, the jay flits back and forth. Its behavior is for sure a mix of curiosity and survival instinct. A 35mm double exposure."
#28. Fine Art Wildlife Photography Awards – 2nd place winner: "Africa’s Finest" by George Dian Balan
#29. Fine Art Wildlife Photography Awards – 3rd place winner: "Reigning" by Patrick Ems
#30. 35 Photography Wildlife Awards – 1st Place: "Sleeping Elephants" by Abdul sahil
#31. 35 Photography Wildlife Awards – 2nd Place: "Blossom bath" by Hoang Thu Hương
#32. 35 Photography Wildlife Awards – 3rd Place: "Photo" by Pramit Karmakar
#33. Remembering Wildlife Winners – "Clash of the Titans" by Alessandro Marena (Italy)
#34. Remembering Wildlife Winners – "A touching moment" by Jagdeep Rajput (India)
#35. Remembering Wildlife Winners – "Age of Innocence" by Julie Oldroyd (UK)
