A brown hyena exploring an abandoned mining town and a beetle overlooking its forest habitat’s destruction have emerged as the champions of this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. The Natural History Museum in London announced the two top winners and 19 category victors on Wednesday, marking the 61st iteration of the prestigious competition.
Wim van den Heever, a wildlife photographer from South Africa, clinched the coveted Wildlife Photographer of the Year title with his captivating image titled “Ghost Town Visitor.” The photo showcases a brown hyena amidst the remnants of a deserted diamond mining settlement in Kolmanskop, Namibia. These elusive hyenas pass through the area on their way to hunt cape fur seal pups along the Namib Desert coast.
Van den Heever’s decade-long pursuit of this rare image began when he first encountered the hyena tracks at Kolmanskop. After patiently setting up camera traps on numerous visits, he finally achieved his goal of capturing the perfect frame of the brown hyena. Reflecting on his achievement, he expressed his joy at realizing his vision after a decade of dedicated efforts.
In a separate category, Andrea Dominizi from Italy secured the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year title with his striking photograph titled “After the Destruction.” The image features a longhorn beetle perched on a mossy log, overlooking the aftermath of a logging operation in the Lepini Mountains of central Italy.
Among the winners was Shane Gross, a photographer from Nanaimo, B.C., who was the sole Canadian category champion in 2025. Gross’s winning entry “Like an Eel out of Water” captured the essence of “Animals in their Environment.” The photograph was taken on D’Arros Island in the Seychelles archipelago, where Gross was documenting the changes following the establishment of a marine protected area.
Gross’s photo showcased peppered moray eels scavenging for fish along the shore, highlighting their unique behavior and adaptation strategies. By focusing on lesser-known marine species like eels, Gross aimed to draw attention to the interconnectedness of ecosystems within marine protected areas.
The winning images, selected from over 60,000 submissions, will be featured in an exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London. Canadians will have the opportunity to view the exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto from November 8, 2025, to March 29, 2026.