3 days ago
15
Every once in a while, wildlife photography hits that sweet spot where art, emotion, and raw nature collide—and the 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice shortlist is doing exactly that. This year’s competition was massive. We’re talking 60,636 photo entries from photographers across 113 countries, making it one of the most competitive wildlife photo contests ever. The official winners were revealed last fall, but now the spotlight shifts to the crowd favorites—the images that hit people right in the feels.
These 24 shortlisted photographs aren’t just pretty pictures; they’re visual stories frozen in time. A hummingbird hovering like it’s defying gravity. A spider caught mid-hunt with cinematic tension. Polar bears, lions, and tigers locking eyes with the camera in moments that feel both intimate and intimidating. From the tiniest bug nymphs to apex predators, this collection captures the wild world in all its chaos, beauty, and fragility.
The shortlist was carefully curated by the Natural History Museum, alongside an international panel of experts in photography, wildlife conservation, and science. The People’s Choice Award itself is presented by Nuveen, the Lead Corporate Sponsor of the exhibition, which continues to tour globally—from London to Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, the UAE, and beyond.
Now it’s your turn. One of these 24 powerful images will walk away with the People’s Choice Award, and public voting is officially open. Whether you’re into dramatic predator moments or quiet, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it details, this shortlist proves one thing loud and clear: wildlife photography isn’t just about nature—it’s about connection.
You can find more info:
#1. "Along for the Ride" by Chris Gug
Against the darkness of the night-time sea, a juvenile swimming crab hitches a ride on a jellyfish. Chris spotted this scene while scuba diving at night in Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.The relationship between the crab and the jellyfish is not clearly understood."
#2. "Flying Rodent" by Josef Stefan
"A young lynx playfully throws a rodent into the air before killing and devouring it. Josef has wanted to photograph lynxes for a long time. He was delighted when the opportunity arose to spend two weeks observing them from a hide at Torre de Juan Abad, Ciudad Real, Spain."
#3. "Bond in Motion" by Lalith Ekanayake
"The striking eyes of a curious lion-tailed macaque and its infant are on display as it races along a path. Lalith was exploring the city of Valparai in the Western Ghats, India. He was surprised to come face to face with these macaques.
The mother raced towards Lalith, both pairs of eyes gazing forward, full of curiosity."
#4. "A Fragile Future" by Lance van de Vyver
"A pangolin pup nestles into the warmth of a blanket at a rescue centre in South Africa. Pangolins are among the world’s most trafficked animals. This baby’s mother was a victim of poaching and endured appalling conditions. But she was rescued and, against the odds, her baby was born."
#5. "Hold Me Tightly" by Dvir Barkay
"A brown-throated three-toed sloth mother cradles her young in her arms to shelter it from the rain. Dvir observed this mother and her baby at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. They spent most of their time high up in the canopy."
#6. "The Final Portrait" by Nima Sarikhani
"A polar bear cub looks into the camera as it accompanies its mother on an unsuccessful hunting trip. There’s a sad story behind this picture, taken on the coast of Svalbard archipelago. Soon after it was taken, the polar bear and its family went too close to an area of huts, and people forced them away."
#7. "Dark Knight" by Prasenjeet Yadav
"A rare tiger with wide, dark stripes wanders a tiger reserve in India. Deep in Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha, India, a tiger named T12 roams. It has pseudo-melanism, a rare genetic condition where the dark stripes are wider. At times they make the animal seem completely black."
#8. "Into the Furnace" by Mogens Trolle
"A sun bear shelters from the rain in a furnace as a butterfly settles on its snout. Mogens took this image in the Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand. In recent years, sun bears have started visiting the campsites in the park, looking for an easy meal. A sign on the furnace says ‘Evolution’."
#9. "Dancing in the Headlights" by Will Nicholls
"A silhouetted pair of young bear cubs rear up and play-fight in the middle of a quiet road. Bears are a fairly frequent sight in Jasper National Park, Canada. But cubs are rarer, as mothers tend to keep them away from any threats. It’s an enchanting moment, but also a risky one for the playful young cubs silhouetted against the glow of car headlights."
#10. "Portrait of Extinction" by Adam Oswell
"A mountainous pile of confiscated snares lies behind Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers. This huge pile consists of snares that had been confiscated over a one-year period in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda. Adam joined several rangers and community volunteers to build it. They wanted to show the scale and urgency of the snare crisis in Africa. It took a week to build."
#11. "Swirling Superpod" by Cecile Gabillon
"A spectacular superpod of spinner dolphins herds lanternfish towards the surface of the ocean. Cecile was free-diving in the Pacific Ocean, near Costa Rica, when she came across the dolphins. They were herding lanternfish and guiding them towards the surface."
#12. "Uniqueness" by Daniela Anger
"A leucistic otter feeds on a catfish in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. On holiday in the southern Pantanal, Daniela was keen to see the neotropical river otters that live in the Aquidauana River. After many boat trips, she spotted this otter feeding on a catfish. It has leucism, a lack of melanin, resulting in pale or white fur."
#13. "Marvellous Spatuletail" by Dustin Chen
"A male marvellous spatuletail hummingbird shows off its long tail while it feeds on flowers. Dustin spent two weeks watching birds at Huembo Lodge in Pomacochas, Peru. This male marvellous spatuletail hummingbird was his main focus. In Dustin’s photo, the bird shows off its long tail while feeding on flowers. The spatuletail uses its impressive tail to attract females."
#14. "A Leap Into Adulthood" by Peter Lindel
"Three young kestrels prepare to leap from their nest to a nearby beam. From April to July 2023, Peter observed and photographed a pair of common kestrels. He witnessed moments from their courting until the time their young left the nest. He took this picture from his living room in Dortmund, Germany."
#15. "Ready to Pounce" by Joseph Ferraro
"An ambush bug nymph remains motionless in a flower, waiting for prey to wander within reach. Joseph spotted this nymph close to his front door in Ferndale, Michigan, USA. Ambush bugs are predatory. They stay still, waiting to surprise prey that wanders too close."
#16. "Couple’s Camouflage" by Artur Tomaszek
"A tiny male sits on the abdomen of a well-camouflaged female broad-headed bark spider, waiting until she moults and is ready to mate. Artur was lucky to encounter these broad-headed bark spiders in Khao Phra Thaeo Non-Hunting Area, Phuket, Thailand. The spiders spend the day on the bark of a tree and go down to their webs when it gets dark."
#17. "A Fleeting Moment" by Lior Berman
"An elusive rufous-vented ground cuckoo plucks up a cicada in the depths of the rainforest in Costa Rica. Silent and sharp-eyed, it follows columns of army ants. It doesn’t want to feed on the ants, but on insects and small creatures fleeing the swarm. Here, it locks onto a cicada frozen in fear."
#18. "Above and Below" by Charles Davis
"A brushtail possum joey mirrors its mother climbing a branch while out foraging. Over a month, Charles set up a camera trap on this branch in Miena, Tasmania. He was hoping to photograph quolls. In the end, the cheeky brushtail possums were the stars."
#19. "Beauty Against the Beast" by Alexandre Brisson
"A group of flamingos stands out against a stark industrial backdrop of power lines. After a 10-hour drive, Alexandre arrived at this bird sanctuary in Walvis Bay, Namibia, just as the sun was setting. The smell from a nearby open-air dump was overwhelming, a sharp contrast to the beauty of the lesser flamingos."
#20. "Beak-to-Beak" by Ponlawat Thaipinnarong
"A sarus crane parent shares an intimate and moving moment with its one-week-old chick. Ponlawat watched the sarus cranes and their chicks in the rice paddies in Huai Chorakhe Mak Non-Hunting Area in Buri Ram, Thailand. To avoid disturbing the birds, he would lay still for several hours a day while he watched."
#21. "Never-ending Struggle" by Kohei Nagira
"A sika deer carries the interlocked severed head of a rival male that had died after their battle. In autumn, male sika deer fight over females by clashing their antlers. This deer won the fight, but their antlers became tightly locked and wouldn’t come apart. A local fisherman says the deer dragged the whole body for several days before finally tearing off its head."
#22. "Solar Waves" by Francesco Russo
"Rows of solar panels stretch across the landscape like ripples on a water’s surface. This solar farm is in the land surrounding the hamlet of Cambridge in Gloucestershire, England, UK. The panels had to be carefully organised around the divisions between pastures."
#23. "Precious Cargo" by Thomas Hunt
"A cellar spider, sometimes known as a daddy long-legs, carries a ball of precious eggs in its mouth. Thomas found this female cellar spider in the top corner of his sister’s room in their home in Southampton, England, UK. Upon closer inspection, he noticed it was carrying a ball of precious eggs in its mouth."
#24. "Family Rest" by Christopher Paetkau
"A mother polar bear and her three cubs pause peacefully in the summer heat. This type of scene is getting rarer.
The sun is high, the land wide and open. The polar bears rest after their long journey north along the Hudson Bay coast in Canada."
In Summary
What is the People’s Choice Award?
- It’s a public-voted award allowing audiences worldwide to choose their favorite wildlife photo from the official shortlist.
How many photos were submitted in 2025?
- A record-breaking 60,636 images from photographers in 113 countries.
Who selects the shortlisted photos?
- The Natural History Museum, London, along with an international panel of wildlife, photography, and science experts.
What kinds of animals are featured?
- Everything from insects and birds to polar bears, lions, and tigers.
Can the public vote?
- Yes, voting is open, and one shortlisted image will win the People’s Choice Award.
English (US) ·