Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025: the Highly Commended Photos so Far

The Natural History Museum has unveiled the first images from its sixty-first Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

Selected from an all-time high of over 60,636 entries, they range from the tense face-off between a lion and a cobra to the intricate structures of mould seen under magnification and the snapshot of a red deer stag captured by a ten-year-old photographer.

As you go through these images, you might wonder how they capture the richness and complexity of life on Earth, and reflect the deepening entanglement between humanity and the natural world.

Winners of the competition will be revealed on 14 October, ahead of a major exhibition at the museum featuring 100 of the most powerful images from around the globe.

Keep scrolling to discover all of this year's highly commended entries so far.

Clouds of Gold

Photographer: Jassen Todorov (USA)

Location: San Francisco Bay, California, USA

Captured from above by Jassen Todorov, this image shows clouds mirrored in San Francisco Bay’s vast salt ponds.

In the 1800s, these 5,000-hectare ponds were industrial sites to collect salt. But now, they're part of a major restoration effort, returning tidal marshes and vital habitat to the region.

Rutting Call

Photographer: Jamie Smart (UK)

Location: Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, UK

In Bradgate Park, a red deer stag lets out a powerful bellow during the autumn rut.

The ten-year-old talented photographer, Jamie Smart, captured the moment from a safe distance, angling above the tall grass for a clear shot.

The stag’s antlers, now sharp and velvet-free, regrow annually—gaining new tines and grandeur with each passing year.

Deadly Lessons

Photographer: Marina Cano (Spain)

Location: Samburu National Park, Samburu County, Kenya

In Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve, three young cheetahs hone their hunting skills on a captured Günther’s dik-dik, as their mother watches nearby. Marina Cano’s striking image, highly commended in the mammals’ behaviour category, captures a crucial moment in the cubs’ journey toward independence, or should we say, survival skills.

Nature Reclaims Its Space

Photographer: Sitaram Raul (India)

Location: Banda, Maharashtra, India

As dusk falls over the ruins of a historic monument in Maharashtra, fruit bats take flight.

Working in complete darkness, Sitaram Raul manually focused and timed his flash to capture this haunting scene—a quiet reminder of how wildlife reclaims forgotten human spaces.

Pink Pose

Photographer: Leana Kuster (Switzerland)

Location: Pont de Gau, Camargue, France

In the Camargue wetlands of southern France, a greater flamingo pauses mid-forage to scratch its head.

Captured by Swiss teenager Leana Kuster while on holiday, the image earned a high commendation in the 15–17 years category for its elegant composition and quiet charm.

Jelly Smack Summer

Photographer: Ralph Pace (USA)

Location: Monterey Bay, Monterey, California, USA

A swirling bloom of Pacific sea nettles drifts through the waters of Monterey Bay in Ralph Pace’s vivid underwater shot. To capture it, he protected his exposed skin with petroleum jelly. As oceans warm, these adaptable jellyfish are appearing in greater numbers—a striking sign of change beneath the surface.

Fragile River of Life

Photographer: Isaac Szabo (USA)

Location: Columbia County, Florida, USA

In the clear waters of a Florida river, a female longnose gar glides beside several males during mating season. Isaac Szabo captured the scene while wading, with a drifting turtle adding an unexpected touch of perfection to this serene underwater moment.

Wake-up Call

Photographer: Gabriella Comi (Italy)

Location: Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

In the heat of the Serengeti, a cobra approaches two sleeping lions—until the eldest lifts its head to confront the intruder. Gabriella Comi captured the tense moment, a rare encounter that unfolded under the harsh midday sun.

Toxic Tip

Photographer: Lakshitha Karunarathna (Sri Lanka)

Location: Ampara, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, Lakshitha A lone Asian elephant picks through garbage at a landfill on the edge of a protected wildlife zone in Sri Lanka. Lakshitha Karunarathna has spent years documenting how human waste threatens these elephants—many of whom ingest plastic along with food scraps, leading to slow and painful deaths.

A Tale of Two Coyotes

Photographer: Parham Pourahmad (USA)

Location: Bernal Heights Park, San Francisco, California, USA

In San Francisco’s Bernal Heights Park, Parham Pourahmad captured a tender moment between two coyotes—his lens framing the male’s amber eye through the sweep of the female’s tail. Once gone from the city, these adaptable animals are slowly reclaiming their place in the urban wild.

Essence of Kamchatka

Photographer: Kesshav Vikram (India)

Location: Kurile Lake, Kamchatka Krai, Russia

Against the misty backdrop of Iliinsky volcano, a brown bear strides along the shores of Kurile Lake. Kesshav Vikram waited days for this moment, as the bear joined others drawn by the annual sockeye salmon run—a rare gathering for these typically solitary creatures.

Inside the Pack

Photographer: Amit Eshel (Israel)

Location: Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada

In the −35 °C chill of the Arctic, Ronen Eshel came eye-to-eye with a pack of curious wolves—fulfilling a lifelong dream. With little human contact in their remote range across northern Canada and Greenland, these elusive animals ventured so close he could smell their breath.

Slime Family Portrait

Photographer: Kutub Uddin (Bangladesh/UK)

Location: Slindon Wood, West Sussex, England, UK

In a quiet corner of Slindon Wood, Kutub Uddin discovered a cluster of slime moulds on a fallen log—a “bizarre family portrait” featuring a tiny yellow insect egg. These unique organisms live as individual amoeba-like cells but unite to move and reproduce, showcasing nature’s surprising teamwork on a miniature scale.

Ice Edge Journey

Photographer: Bertie Gregory (UK)

Location: Ekström Ice Shelf, Atka Bay, Antarctica

Perched on the edge of the Ekström Ice Shelf, a group of young emperor penguins prepares for their first big dive.

After weeks of watching the colony, Bertie Gregory caught this moment when a few chicks, having missed the easier route down, were left to find their own way. As sea ice continues to shrink, scenes like this may become more common—turning a dramatic leap into a new rite of passage.

No Place Like Home

Photographer: Emmanuel Tardy (France)

Location: El Tanque, San Carlos, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Clinging to a barbed wire post after a risky road crossing, this brown-throated three-toed sloth was spotted by Emmanuel Tardy in Costa Rica.

As forests are cleared and habitats shrink, sloths are increasingly forced to travel on the ground—making scenes like this a quiet but powerful reminder of the cost of deforestation.

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