South African photographer Wim van den Heever has secured the most prestigious accolade in nature photography, claiming the top spot as the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025. This esteemed competition is hosted annually by the Natural History Museum in London. Van den Heever's sensational winning image, titled "The Ghost Town Visitor," captures a rare brown hyena navigating the deserted, sand-swept streets of Kolmanskop, an abandoned diamond mining settlement located in Namibia. This remarkable photograph represents the culmination of a decade of persistent dedication by the photographer, focused intently on obtaining this single, perfectly composed shot of the elusive, nocturnal creature set against the backdrop of human decay.
The annual contest, now celebrating its 61st iteration, witnessed a record-breaking influx of submissions this year. Organizers received more than 60,600 entries, originating from 113 distinct countries and territories worldwide, underscoring the global reach and importance of the award. The sheer volume of high-quality images made the judging process particularly rigorous for the panel.
Ultimately, the judging panel selected van den Heever’s image, praising its compelling narrative and its "prickly sensation" which successfully immerses the viewer directly into the animal's desolate domain. Beyond securing the overall grand prize, the photographer’s work also triumphed in the highly competitive Urban Wildlife category. The judges specifically highlighted how the photograph offered an original and compelling interpretation of the term "urban," depicting an environment that "was once dominated by man, but is no longer." This unique perspective underscores the powerful resilience of nature as it reclaims spaces once defined by human industry.
Wim van den Heever first discovered evidence of the elusive brown hyena traversing the ruins of Kolmanskop nearly ten years ago. Initially, his attempts to capture the animal on film during traditional photographic hours—specifically dawn and dusk—proved utterly fruitless. This persistent lack of success eventually led the photographer to pivot towards utilizing advanced camera trap technology, meticulously positioning the equipment in strategic areas where the animals were expected to pass.
Brown hyenas are recognized as the rarest hyena species globally, characterized by their predominantly solitary and nocturnal habits. They frequently traverse Kolmanskop as a necessary part of their routine, either heading out to hunt vulnerable Cape fur seal pups or scavenging for carrion washed ashore along the desolate coastline of the Namib Desert. Their survival hinges on these nocturnal movements through the ghost town.
The highly anticipated exhibition showcasing the winning images is scheduled to open its doors on October 17, 2025. This year, the event will introduce a significant new element: the Biodiversity Index. This innovative metric, developed by the museum, aims to quantify and rigorously evaluate the natural diversity present within the geographical regions depicted in the photographs. This initiative reinforces the core message that true artistic mastery in wildlife photography lies not just in technical skill, but in reflecting the profound interconnectedness between human legacy, environmental change, and the relentless, cyclical nature of the wild. Furthermore, the future of wildlife photography was recognized, as Italian photographer Andrea Dominizi was honored with the title of Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 for his powerful image illustrating the critical global issue of habitat loss.