snapping the world’s rarest hyena
Maddie MolloyBBC Climate and Science correspondent
Wim van den HeeverA brown hyena standing next to the ruins of an abandoned diamond mining settlement earned wildlife photographer Wim van den Heever the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
He set the camera trap after spotting fresh hyena tracks in Namibia’s ghost town of Kolmanskop. He said it took him ten years to get the vaccine.
The rarest of all hyena species, the brown hyena is primarily nocturnal and tends to live a solitary life. Mr van den Heever searched the deserted town for years and found only traces of the elusive animal.
“I knew they were there, but actually taking pictures was never going to happen,” he says.
He was awarded an award at the Natural History Museum in London.
The annual exhibition dedicated to the competition opens at the Natural History Museum on October 17.
Keep scrolling to explore the entire collection of award-winning images.
Andrea DominiCategory: Junior Grand Prize and 15-17 year old winner
Title: After Destruction
Photographer: Andrea Dominizi, Italy
Location: Lepini Mountains, Lazio, Italy
While exploring the Lepini Mountains in Central Italy, an area where old-growth beech trees were once felled, Andrea noticed a beetle resting on a felled log next to abandoned machinery.
“This photo shows the story and challenge facing many animal species: habitat loss,” he says. “In this case, it’s an insect that’s losing the tree and the wood it needs to lay its eggs.”
Category winners
Shane GrossCategory: Animals around them
Title: Like an eel out of water
Photographer: Shane Gross, Canada
Location: D’Arros Island, Amirante, Seychelles
After weeks of patience, last year’s winnerShane Gross caught peppered moray eels scavenging during low tide.
He spent hours enduring the sun, heat and flies, waiting where dead fish washed ashore. Finally three eels appeared.
Jamie SmartCategory: 10 Years and Under category
Title: Weaver’s Lair
Photographer: Jamie Smart, United Kingdom
Location: Mid Wales, United Kingdom
On a cold September morning, Jamie Smart discovered an orb-weaver spider curled up inside her silk hideaway.
“It’s pretty special to me, too, because I get to show something that people are usually afraid of,” he says.
Sebastian FrölichCategory: Wetlands: The Big Picture
Title: Disappearing Pond
Photographer: Sebastian Frölich, Germany
Location: Platzertal, Tirol, Austria
Sebastian Frölich visited Austria’s Platzertal steppes, a fragile wetland, at a time when Austria has lost 90 percent of its peat bogs, to highlight its vital role as a carbon sink and habitat for diverse wildlife.
Lubin GodinCategory: 11–14 Years
Title: Alpine Dawn
Photographer: Lubin Godin, France
Location: Col de la Colombiere, Haute-Savoie, France
During an early climb, Lubin Godin found an Alpine ibex resting above a sea of clouds. He retraced his steps as the sun came in and captured the view before the mist returned.
Ralph PaceCategory: Underwater
Title: Survival Bag
Photographer: Ralph Pace, USA
Location: Monterey Bay, California, USA
Battling strong currents, Ralph Pace captured this image of a swollen shark egg case revealing a glowing embryo, complete with gill slits and yolk sac.
Bloat sharks depend on kelp to lay their leathery eggs, making them vulnerable to the loss of kelp forests. Researchers believe that the amount of algae in Monterey Bay has decreased by more than 95 percent in the last 34 years.
Philipp EggerCategory: Animal Portraits
Title: Shadow Hunter
Photographer: Philipp Egger, Italy
Location: Naturns, South Tyrol, Italy
Philipp Egger observed this eagle owl’s nest from afar for more than four years.
Eagle owls, among the largest owls in the world, weigh about twice as much as vultures. These nocturnal hunters nest in cliffs or crevices and often return to the same area for many years.
Qingrong YangCategory: Behavior: Birds
Title: Synchronized Fishing
Photographer: Qingrong Yang, China
Location: Yundang Lake, Fujian Province, China
Qingrong Yang caught a ladyfish that grabbed its prey just below the beak of a little egret.
He frequently visits the lake to document these crazy feeding moments.
Dennis StogsdillCategory: Behavior: Mammals
Title: The Cat Among the Flamingos
Photographer: Dennis Stogsdill, USA
Location: Lake Ndutu, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Caracals are known for their acrobatic leaps to catch birds, but they are rarely seen hunting flamingos.
Jon A JuárezCategory: photojournalism
Title: How to Save a Species
Photographer: Jon A Juárez, Spain
Location: Ol Pejeta, Nanyuki, Laikipia County, Kenya
Following the BioRescue Project years later, Jon A. Juárez achieved a breakthrough in rhino conservation, witnessing the first successful transfer of a rhino embryo into a surrogate mother.
Although the fetus of the southern white rhino pictured here did not survive due to infection, the milestone proved that in vitro fertilization can work for rhinos and brought scientists one step closer to saving the critically endangered northern white rhino.
The BBC reported this incredible story and You can read it here.
Quentin MartinezCategory: Behavior: Amphibians and Reptiles
Title: Fun Frogs
Photographer: Quentin Martinez, French Guiana
Location: Mount Kaw, French Guiana
In heavy rain, Quentin Martinez followed a flooded path to a pool in a forest clearing and caught the metallic sheen of smaller tree frogs gathering to breed.
Javier Aznar González de RuedaCategory: Photojournalist Story
Title: End of Collection
Photographer: Javier Aznar González de Rueda, Spain
Location: America
Javier Aznar González de Rueda explored the conflicting views of society across the United States regarding rattlesnakes, from deep respect to fear and persecution.
Georgina SteytlerCategory: Behavior: Invertebrates
Title: Mad Hatter’s Column
Photographer: Georgina Steytler, Australia
Location: Torndirrup National Park, Western Australia
Georgina Steytler displayed her peculiar tower of discarded head capsules of a gum leaf skeletonizing caterpillar. Each molt leaves behind a capsule, forming a mass that is thought to confuse predators.
Audun RikardsenCategory: Oceans: The Big Picture
Title: Celebration
Photographer: Audun Rikardsen, Norway
Location: Kvænangen Fjord, Skjervøy, Norway
On a polar night in Norway, Audun Rikardsen photographed seagulls gathering around a fishing boat and trying to catch fish stuck in the nets.
It aims to highlight the conflict between seabirds and the fishing industry. Every year, many birds get caught in purse seine nets and drown.
Chien LeeCategory: Plants and Fungi
Title: Fatal Attraction
Photographer: Chien Lee, Malaysia
Location: Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia
Some carnivorous pitcher plants reflect UV light as part of their display, using colour, scent and nectar to attract prey. To demonstrate this, Chien Lee used long exposure and a UV torch.
Luca LorenzCategory: Rising Star
Title: Mindful Moments
Photographer: Luca Lorenz, Germany
Location: Germany
Luca Lorenz was taking photos of mute swans at an urban lake when a coypu photobombed his frame.
Simone BaumeisterCategory: Natural Art
Title: Caught in the headlights
Photographer: Simone Baumeister, Germany
Location: Ibbenbüren, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Simone Baumeister photographed the silhouette of a sphere-weaving spider in front of traffic lights on a city bridge. He reversed one of the six glass elements in his lens, creating the kaleidoscopic effect that frames the spider.
Fernando FacioleCategory: 2025 Impact Award Winner and Highly Commended, Photojournalism
Title: Orphan of the Road
Photographer: Fernando Faciole, Brazil
Location: CETAS (Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
At a rehabilitation center in Brazil, Fernando Faciole photographed an orphaned giant anteater cub following its caregiver.
Its purpose is to show the consequences of road collisions, which are a major threat to these animals.
Alexey KharitonovCategory: Portfolio Award
Title: Visions of the North
Photographer: Alexey Kharitonov, Israel/Russia
Location: Russia
A recently frozen lake in the Svetlyachkovskoye Swamp reveals dark snow-covered rings etched with crack-like veins.
Using a drone, Alexey Kharitonov captures the rapid transition from summer to winter in taiga forests and Arctic tundra.
