In 2025, wildlife photography hit a whole new level. Across the globe, photographers waited patiently in freezing cold, scorching deserts, dense jungles, and remote oceans just to capture that one split second where nature revealed its raw magic. The result? A jaw-dropping collection of images that didn’t just win awards — they told powerful stories of survival, beauty, and the fragile balance of life on Earth.
These 40 breathtaking wildlife photos, crowned winners at major international photography competitions, showcase nature at its most honest and emotional. From a snow leopard melting into the Himalayan shadows to a tiny frog glowing beneath rainforest leaves, every frame feels alive. These images aren’t just about animals; they’re about moments — the tension of a hunt, the calm after a storm, the bond between parent and young, and the silent drama unfolding in the wild every single day.
What makes this year’s winners truly special is their storytelling power. Many photographers spent months, sometimes years, waiting for the perfect moment. Some traveled across continents, while others captured magic right in their backyard. Each photograph reflects patience, respect for wildlife, and a deep connection to nature that goes far beyond the lens.
These award-winning images also remind us why conservation matters more than ever. Behind every stunning photograph is a fragile ecosystem fighting to survive. Through light, timing, and emotion, these photographers invite us to pause, feel, and protect the wild world we share.
Scroll through these 40 unforgettable wildlife photographs and experience the beauty, drama, and wonder that made 2025 an unforgettable year in wildlife photography.
#1. Refocus Photographer of the Year – Winner: “The Perfect Heist” by Baiju Patil
“For 15+ years I’ve returned to Bharatpur’s wetlands, but last year was unique. Algae blooms boosted fish, drawing Darters—and opportunistic Grey Herons. In a split-second heist, herons snatched fish mid-air from Darters. After years of patience, I finally captured this breathtaking drama.”
#2. Chromatic Awards – 1st Place winner: “After the meal” by Pål Hermansen, Norway
“Polar bear relaxing after eating a walrus meal. A very rare prey for polar bears.”
#3. Chromatic Awards – 2nd Place winner: “Rare Encounter” by Remuna Beca, United States
“A rare and intimate encounter with a dugong, captured while freediving off the coast of Egypt. With only an estimated 30 individuals remaining in the Red Sea, dugongs face immense threats from habitat loss, pollution, and unsustainable tourism. As a keystone species, they are vital to the health of seagrass meadows, which serve as carbon sinks and critical marine habitats, underscoring the urgent need for strengthened conservation efforts.”
#4. Chromatic Awards – 3rd Place winner: “Arrival” by Fenqiang Liu, United States
“During breeding season in early Spring in central Florida, when Great Egrets build their nests on trees to prevent predators’ attack, it creates perfect opportunities for me to capture their most beautiful moment with the morning sunlight filtering through their wings.”
#5. National Wildlife Photo Contest – Grand Prize: Kathleen Borshanian
“On the high bluffs of St. George Island, there is a 1,000-foot sea cliff where numerous fox trails cut a path precariously close to the edge,” says Borshanian of this enchanting sun- and fog-dappled scene. As she approached the island’s west end, she spotted a female blue Arctic fox about 75 feet away. Hiding behind a tussock, the Salt Lake City photographer used a telephoto lens to record the moment without disturbing the fox or her kits, sleeping nearby.
#6. National Wildlife Photo Contest – Baby Animals, First Place: Steffen Foerster
San Juan Island’s red foxes were introduced in the 1900s to manage the local rabbit population and since have become part of the ecosystem. Foerster of New York City photographed them from a safe distance to avoid disturbing their behaviors. The foxes get enough stimulation on their own. “During a play session, one of the kits sought comfort from its mother nearby,” he says of this photo.
#7. National Wildlife Photo Contest – Birds, First Place: Jack Zhi
Zhi has spent seven years investigating a question with his camera: How do peregrine falcons, the fastest animals on Earth, protect their young? “With sheer speed and agility,” the Irvine, California, resident learned while documenting broods. The mothers “were on duty, attacking the much larger brown pelicans when they ventured too close to the nest.”
#8. Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards – Overall Winner: “High Five” by Mark Meth Cohn, UK
“We spent four unforgettable days trekking through the misty Virunga Mountains in search of the gorilla families that call them home. On this particular day, we came across a large family group known as the Amahoro family, they were gathered in a forest clearing where the adults were calmly foraging while the youngsters were enthusiastically playing.”
#9. Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards – Bird Category Winner: “Headlock” by Warren Price, UK
“These guillemots were nesting on a small rocky cliff ledge where space was at a premium. The nests all crammed in close together which isn’t a good recipe for being good neighbours, as guillemots are fiercely territorial. Aggression and battles are frequent over nesting space and I captured this image of this bemused looking bridled guillemot, its head firmly clamped in his/her neighbours beak.”
#10. Nature Conservancy Oceania Photo Contest – Grand Prize Winner: “Tauhi” by Miesa Grobbelaar, Australia
“I never imagined – we answered a call about an entangled humpback whale thrashing in distress. Arriving, we saw a heavy rusted chain cutting deep into her tail. Diving in, we worked carefully and silently to free her. When the chain finally snapped, she paused and looked at us, as if saying thanks. It was a powerful, humbling moment, reminding me how deeply connected we are to the ocean and its creatures, and how much respect and care truly matters.”
#11. Nature inFocus Photography Awards – Wildscape & Animals in Their Habitat – Winner: “Thief in the Spotlight” by Sergey Bystritsky
“In a cluster of unusually shaped trees, the photographer sets soft lights using flashes and fabric to guide a fox into view. With the setup blending into the canopy, the moment offers a brief look at a usually elusive visitor moving through the night.”
#12. Nature inFocus Photography Awards – Animal Portraits – Winner: “The Canopy Watcher” by Federica Cordero
“In the forests of Uganda, a young male chimpanzee lounges effortlessly on a twisted vine, pausing to observe the world below.”
#13. Nature inFocus Photography Awards – Animal Behaviour – Winner: “Ancient Rivals” by Amit Eshel
“An Arctic Wolf shows signs of a recent hunt as a muskox herd forms a defensive circle, horns facing out to guard their calves. But chaos followed when the pack seized a few young ones and tore them apart for a small meal before moving on.”
#14. British Photography Awards – Birdlife, Winner: “Bad Hair Day” by Jayne Bond
“This image was taken from a boat on Lake Kerkini in Greece, using the Canon EOS R5 with the Canon 24-105 lens. I set the speed at 1/1600 as the boat was constantly rocking and the Dalmatian Pelican was bobbing about on the water.”
#15. British Photography Awards – Birdlife, Peoples Choice: “Where eagles dare” by Hang Ross
“The Iberian Imperial Eagle, also known as the Spanish Imperial Eagle is a large raptor species native to the Iberian Peninsula Spain and Portugal. The Iberian Imperial Eagle in the 1960 was close to extinction.”
#16. British Photography Awards – Land Animal, Winner: “Fighting tigers” by Andy Rouse
“Two fighting 20 months old tigers, they do this when they approach maturity.”
#17. British Photography Awards – Land Animal, Peoples Choice: “Eyes of the night” by Jade Gosrani
“Patience rewarded: after many hours in a hide, the night’s silence gave way to the quiet presence of a leopard at the water’s edge.”
#18. Nature Photographer of the Year – Overall Winner: “Sundance” by Asmund Keilen
“The photo was taken just outside Oslo on a hot summer day. I was on my way to the store to buy food. I have a habit of leaving my coffee cup on the roof of my car when unlocking our old blue Mercedes, and more than once I’ve forgotten it there and driven away.
#19. Nature Photographer of the Year – Animals portraits – Winner: “Shared Wonder” by Mary Schrader
“Beneath the lush canopy of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda, I observed a young female mountain gorilla from the Binyindo family gently nestled against the protective bulk of a silverback. The atmosphere was serene, filled with the soft sounds of the forest, until a sudden burst of delicate color broke through the calm.”
#20. Nature Photographer of the Year – Youth – Winner: “Panning Bobcat” by Leo Dale
“I am very lucky to have spent dozens of hours in the field with bobcats along the California coast. As with every subject, there are certain highly improbable shots that you may dream of but never succeed in capturing. This picture, a sharp panning shot of a bobcat with prey, was one of those dreams.”
#21. Nature Photographer of the Year – Animals – Winner: “Silent Scream” by Bence Máté
“I am grateful for every moment my work allowed me to spend on Bird Island, part of the Seychelles, a tiny island of two kilometres in width made of coral sand. Its wildlife, atmosphere, and overall essence were so vastly different from what I was accustomed to back home that I felt as if I had stepped into a parallel world.”
#22. 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.”
#23. 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.”
#24. 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.”
#25. 1839 Wildlife Photography Awards – Winner: “Emperor family” by Risto Raunio
“Emperor parents are feeding their chick on the ice of Antarctica.”
#26. 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.”
#27. European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Birds – Winner: “Swan lake” by Terje Kolaas
#28. European Wildlife Photographer of the Year , Other Animals – Winner: “Amongst the stars” by Tibor Litauszki
#29. 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.”
#30. 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.”
#31. 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.”
#32. 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.”
#33. 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.”
#34. 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?”
#35. 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.”
#36. 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.”
#37. Remembering Wildlife Winners – “A touching moment” by Jagdeep Rajput (India)
#38. Remembering Wildlife Winners – “Age of Innocence” by Julie Oldroyd (UK)
#39. 35 Photography Wildlife Awards – 1st Place: “Sleeping Elephants” by Abdul sahil
#40. 35 Photography Wildlife Awards – 2nd Place: “Blossom bath” by Hoang Thu Hương
