Haunting image of rare hyena in ghost town wins 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year, here's its story

South African Photographer Wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 (Image: ©Wim van den Heever/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year)

In a world where nature often battles human neglect, a South African photographer has captured a haunting moment that reminds us of wildlife’s quiet resilience. Wim van den Heever has been named the 61st Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his image of a rare brown hyena wandering through Namibia’s abandoned diamond mining town of Kolmanskop.

How did Wim van den Heever capture the winning shot?

The award-winning photograph, titled ‘Ghost Town Visitor’, shows the elusive brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea) moving through a ghostly ruin bathed in soft light. Van den Heever’s win was announced by London’s Natural History Museum, which hosts the annual global competition.

The photograph was not a chance encounter. It took the photographer ten years of patient effort to capture the frame he had envisioned. After spotting paw prints and scat in the deserted town, he decided to set up camera traps. In an email to Live Science, he said he spent several seasons watching from nearby buildings at dawn and dusk before turning to technology. “After nearly a decade of patience and persistence, I finally captured the image—a brown hyena wandering through the silent ruins,” he said.

Why was this image so difficult to capture?

Brown hyenas are solitary and nocturnal animals, making them extremely difficult to photograph. Van den Heever struggled against desert winds, sand and false camera triggers. Yet, he persisted, knowing that these rare creatures often passed through Kolmanskop, a settlement long swallowed by sand after the diamond rush ended.

Speaking to National Geographic, van den Heever shared the deeper message behind his work. “Even in our cities and urban environments, nature finds its way to live alongside us, and coexistence is possible if we are willing to embrace it,” he said.

What is the message the photo gives?

The picture of the brown hyena standing in front of a crumbling building shows nature's resilience as well as humanity's transience. Competition judge Akanksha Sood Singh described the photograph as a “multi-layered story of loss, resilience, and the natural world’s silent triumph,” as reported by National Geographic.

What did this year’s competition reveal about wildlife?

The 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition attracted a record 60,636 images from 113 nations. Every image provided insight into the vulnerable beauty of wildlife and the increasing threats to it.

Apart from the top prize, 18 more awards were presented across different categories. Among them, Brazilian photographer Fernando Faciole won the Impact Award for ‘Orphan of the Road,’ a poignant image of an orphaned anteater pup following its caretaker after feeding time at a rehabilitation center.

Van den Heever’s win and Faciole’s touching capture together highlight a shared message—that wildlife continues to adapt, endure, and inspire, even in a world that often forgets its place beside nature.