If you love wildlife, we have a great opportunity for you. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year has just announced a great chance for you, the much-awaited People’s Choice Award. This means you can choose your favorite images through votes, and those who win get a special opportunity to be featured alongside the winners of the 60th Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.
The lead image is by Erlend Haarberg, courtesy of the Natural History Museum. All images are used with permission.
According to the Natural History Museum, London, the organizer of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 25 entries were shortlisted by them and an international jury for this prestigious honor. These images were selected from a pool of 59,228 entries sent from 117 countries and territories, and the winning 100 images were revealed this year.
“The People’s Choice Award allows members of the public from across the globe to join the jury and vote for their winning image, inspiring everyone to connect with the natural world,” states Director of the Natural History Museum, Dr. Douglas Gurr. The voting will close on January 29, and the winning images will be displayed online alongside the 60th edition’s winners. In addition to the winner, four runners-up will also be declared, and the pictures will be showcased at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in South Kensington until June 29, 2025.
To vote for your favorite images, visit the Natural History Museum’s website. Without further ado, we present the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award shortlist.
Curious Connection by Nora Milligan (USA)
This image displays a chimpanzee pausing and looking down as its family moves across the forest floor of Loango National Park, Gabon.
The moment was captured on a trek through the forest, and Nora’s guide signaled for the group to stop near the bank of a swamp. They heard the call of a chimpanzee first, then the leaves around them started to rustle, and a group of chimpanzees appeared. This family is called the Rekambo group. Researchers from the Ozouga Chimpanzee Project are studying them.
Nora couldn’t believe her luck when they started to climb the nearby trees. As she peered through her viewfinder, a large male paused and looked down at them.
Edge of Night by Jess Findlay (Canada)
This shortlisted image of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award portrays a ghostly barn owl exiting the hayloft window of a derelict barn to hunt in fields outside Vancouver, Canada. Jess quietly watched the owl for several nights to understand its habits before he set up an invisible beam so that his camera flash would trigger when the owl flew out of the barn. His camera took a series of long-exposure shots, capturing ambient light cast on the clouds and barn.
No Access by Ian Wood (UK)
This photograph portrays an ambling Eurasian badger glancing up at badger graffiti on a quiet road in St Leonards-on-Sea, England, UK. While foxes were often seen on the pavement after residents left food scraps for them, Ian noticed a group of coming for the forage. So, to capture this moment one late night, Ian set up a small hide on the edge of the road.
Icy Repose by Sue Flood (UK)
This shortlisted image for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award showcases a dramatic blue-grey sky while highlighting the soft greys of a Weddell seal resting on an ice floe. Weddell seals’ large bodies are covered in a thick layer of blubber. This keeps them warm above and below the icy waters of the Southern Ocean. Sue used a telephoto lens to highlight its skin and recorded its serene portrait from a rigid inflatable boat in Neko Harbour of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Snuffling Sengi by Piotr Naskrecki (Poland)
This photograph depicts a rarely seen four-toed sengi forages for food among the leaf litter in Mozambique. Sengis mainly eat insects and look for their prey at dusk and dawn. They rely on a combination of good vision and an excellent sense of smell to find food.
Piotr watched this sengi over several weeks in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. It followed the same network of trails every day, looking for beetles and other tasty morsels among the leaf litter. Sengis are extremely shy and skittish, so Piotr set up a remote camera to photograph the little creature sniffing for food.
Whiteout by Michel d’Oultremont (Belgium)
This spectacular image showcases a stoat sitting up and observing its territory as it blends perfectly into a snowy landscape in Belgium. Michel has been looking for stoats in the snow for many years. He has been fascinated by the magic of snowfall every winter and wanted to take a photograph that shows how the stoats blended in with the whiteness of the landscape. He’d seen a few in Switzerland but never in his native Belgium. Then, finally, his dream came true. He lay in the snow with a white camouflage net covering all but his lens. This curious stoat came out of its snowy hole and sat up occasionally, observing its territory just before setting off to hunt.
Earth and Sky by Francisco Negroni (Chile)
The image depicts a double lenticular cloud illuminated at nightfall by the lava emitted from the Villarrica volcano in Chile. It’s one of the country’s most active volcanoes, last erupted in 2015.
Francisco takes regular trips to Villarrica to monitor its activity. On this visit, he stayed nearby for 10 nights. He says every trip is “quite an adventure – never knowing what the volcano might surprise you with.” Some nights are calm, others furious, as in this photograph, where the brightness of the crater illuminates the night sky.
Wolf Pack by Arvind Ramamurthy (India)
This shortlisted image for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award is of an Indian wolf pack that paused briefly as they play in fields in Bhigwan, India. Indian wolves were once found all across India. Now, their number has dwindled to as few as 3,000. Living so close to humans poses many risks. Farming has fragmented their rolling grassland habitat, and feeding on cattle carcasses puts them at risk of disease. But Indian wolves are hardy animals. With better grassland management and protection, they could make a strong comeback.
Arvind was photographing this pack playing in the grassy fields. One of them came and sat down at the edge of the agricultural crop, and four others joined it one by one. They paused for a few seconds before they ran off again, playing and chasing one another.
Scanning the Realm by Aaron Baggenstos (USA)
The photograph displays a puma standing on a windswept outcrop in the rugged mountain terrain of Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. A successful conservation movement led to the national park’s creation and a rise in ecotourism in the region. This has also helped to reduce conflict between pumas and local gauchos (sheep farmers). The gauchos view pumas more positively because they’re attracting tourists, which is good for income. The introduction of sheepdogs has also helped. The dogs confront any approaching pumas and stop them from attacking the sheep. In turn, the pumas hunt their natural prey, and the gauchos are less likely to shoot them. The change has gradually gained momentum over the past 20 to 30 years. There is hope that humans and pumas can live alongside one another.
Togetherness by Ivan Ivanek (Czech Republic)
This striking pair of red-shanked douc langurs is mated in the forests of the Sơn Trà peninsula in Vietnam. Known for their bright red ‘stockings,’ these primates are found only in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The species is critically endangered because of habitat loss, hunting, and the illegal pet trade.
After days of observing the area and looking for evidence of the monkeys, Ivan managed to find a small group. Late one evening, he saw the couple mating. Compared to other species of monkey he’d seen mating, it was an unexpectedly gradual and graceful affair!
The Arrival by Brad Leue (Australia)
Floodwaters that have traveled for months surge towards an enormous salt lake in South Australia. Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre is Australia’s largest inland lake and one of the world’s largest salt lakes.
This image was shot from a helicopter in strong winds, which was quite challenging for Brad. In addition to the floodwaters, a dust storm blew, and rain fell on the horizon. Floodwaters had traveled more than 1,000 kilometers (1,600 miles) and surged steadily from Queensland towards South Australia. Timing was imperative to photograph this once-in-a-decade natural event. Brad’s image shows the water channeling steadily down Warburton Groove, the final stretch before entering the mighty lake. On their journey, the waters bring new life to this remarkable desert system and its rare and threatened wildlife.
Annoying Neighbour by Bence Máté (Hungary)
It showcases a European roller that defends its territory from a bemused-looking little owl in Kiskunság National Park, Hungary. Although the little owl and the European roller are very different birds, their nests and feeding requirements are similar, so they sometimes breed near each other. The male roller annoys other birds that stray into its breeding area during the short mating season. It makes a surprise ambush, flying at full speed behind them. Bence spent 27 days watching from a hide to catch such a fleeting scene. The little owl seemed nonplussed by the spectacle.
Fallen from the Sky by Carlo D’Aurizio (Italy)
This shortlisted image for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award showcases a collage of dead butterflies and moths trapped by the surface tension of the water floating in a stream in Italy.
It was a summer morning in the San Bartolomeo Valley in the Majella National Park, Italy. Carlo had visited this small stream many times and expected to see the graceful flight of butterflies and dragonflies along it. He never thought he would find such a still life, a sad collage of dead insects calmly floating in the water. It hadn’t been particularly hot, and there hadn’t been any storms in the previous days. To this day, Carlo has no explanation for why the insects died.
Evening Song by Christian Brinkmann (Germany)
This is an image of a singing Eurasian songbird silhouetted against a backdrop of colorful fairground lights in Münster, Germany. An interesting atmosphere arose behind the castle during a popular fair in Münster called the Send.
The evening mood was gentle, and Christian had singing birds on one side and party music on the other. In front of the fairground lights, this Eurasian blackbird posed for its song. Although blackbirds are a common sight, Christians like to photograph them in distinctive ways. Here, the bird’s silhouette against a colorful backdrop gives the image an artistic flair.
Aspen Shadows by Devon Pradhuman (USA)
Here are four grey wolves crossing a minimalist landscape of naked aspens and snow in Yellowstone National Park, USA. It was early spring in the Lamar Valley, and this pack was searching for its next meal. Watching from a distance, Devon saw them heading towards this patch of aspens and thought it would make a compelling image. The wolves walked past these trees and followed the tree line, eventually disappearing over the hillside.
A Good Scratch by Mark Williams (UK/Canada)
A beluga whale was seen rubbing its underside on a shallow river bottom to exfoliate its skin. Hundreds of beluga whales come here to socialize and exfoliate in the shallow water. The passage is also a safe haven, away from the predatory orcas.
Mark took this image in a remote inlet along the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic. Belugas are extremely sociable mammals. They live, hunt, and migrate together in pods ranging from quite small to hundreds. Nicknamed ‘the canaries of the sea,’ they produce a series of chirps, clicks, whistles, and squeals that Mark found otherworldly.
Unsold by Jose Fragozo (Portugal)
This young cheetah cub hissed while waiting to be sold in Ethiopia. Captured from her home plains in the Somali Region, she was transported on the back of a camel for several days to the northern coast of Somaliland. Illegal wildlife trafficking is a problem in the Somali Region. Farmers catch and sell cheetah cubs to traffickers, claiming that the cheetahs attack their livestock.
Sometimes, the farmers and traffickers cannot sell the cubs immediately. The bigger the cheetahs get, the harder it is to find buyers. Some end up being killed, and their parts are sold. Their bones are shipped to Yemen and then to other Asian markets. They are then sold as tiger bones and used to make Chinese bone wine. After hissing at the camera, the cub started chirping, calling out for its mother.
Meeting in the Marsh by Michael Forsberg (USA)
The image depicts a disguised biologist approaching an endangered whooping crane in Louisiana, USA. Michael has been chronicling the lives of endangered whooping cranes since early 2019. The biologist acted with cat-like quickness to check the bird’s health and change a transmitter that was no longer working. The transmitter helps biologists track these non-migratory birds and learn more about them. This experimental population was reintroduced in Bayou Country in 2011. In the 1940s, roughly 20 whooping cranes were in the region. Since then, numbers have climbed to over 800.
Sneak Attack by Erlend Haarberg (Norway)
This shortlisted Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award image displays a polar bear cub attempting an underwater surprise attack on a northern fulmar. In the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, a walrus carcass had attracted a female polar bear and her two cubs. But one of the cubs was more interested in playing in the water than eating. The cub was having fun diving under the water and resurfacing, playing with the seaweed and kelp. The northern fulmar resting on the water’s surface awakened the cub’s desire to hunt. Erlend watched as it attempted several underwater surprise attacks on the bird, only to fail each time. Until he finally succeeded.
Slap Shot by Savannah Rose (USA)
The picture illustrates a beaver cocks its tail before slapping it down on the water to alert its family to a newcomer. Savannah enjoys photographing North American beavers, and this picture was captured in Jackson, Wyoming, USA. She states that as she approached the shoreline, a beaver cruised cautiously after emerging from its lodge. It cocked its tail up and brought it down with a resounding crack, and that’s how she made the image.
The Brave Gecko by Willie Burger van Schalkwyk (South Africa)
The picture depicts a giant ground gecko standing fast against a pale chanting goshawk in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. One hunting strategy of the southern pale chanting goshawk is to walk or run on the ground in pursuit of prey.
Willie watched as the little lizard bravely fought against its large attacker. Unfortunately, there was no hope of survival, but Willie was impressed by the gecko’s bravery.
Forest of Dreams by Samuel Bloch (France)
A northern giant petrel was seen sitting on its nest at the edge of a rātā tree forest on Enderby Island, New Zealand. Samuel was surprised to find this one in such a woody environment. Like many other seabirds, it breeds on islands where there are fewer predators. Samuel took this image from a distance and left quickly to avoid disturbing the bird.
Spiked by David Northall (UK)
The photograph depicts a bloodied yet determined honey badger returning to finish off a Cape porcupine that had earlier tried to defend itself. Honey badgers are famously ferocious and found throughout Botswana. They often chase animals, many times their own size. This honey badger got an unpleasant surprise when it attacked the normally nocturnal Cape porcupine. The badger grabbed the porcupine’s right leg. In defense, the porcupine repeatedly backed into its attacker, piercing it with many quills. During a lull in the attack, the porcupine managed to shuffle away, its leg badly damaged. After a short retreat, the bloodied badger returned. It finished off the porcupine under a bush close to the original attack, then dragged it into its underground den.
Drifting Dinner by Noam Kortler (Israel)
This shortlisted Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award photograph of a decorator crab perches on top of a sea squirt to comb the water for drifting plankton. Noam took this photograph during a night dive off Komodo Island, Indonesia. The sea squirt gave the crab the perfect stage to feed on drifting plankton. The crab had camouflaged and armed itself with tiny hydroids known as Tubularia. These can sting other animals and so help protect the crab from predators. Noam watched the crab gracefully search for food, illuminated by the camera flash as if in a spotlight center stage.
Concert in the Forest by Vincent Premel (France)
The picture shows a Surinam golden-eyed tree frog puffing out its cheeks as it prepares to call for a mate. After a long dry spell, the first rains come in French Guiana. They’re a release for all wildlife, but especially for amphibians. When it rains, the ponds fill with water. Dozens of species descend from the canopy or come out of the ground. They’re here to lay their eggs in the water in an event called ‘explosive breeding.’ The density of individuals is hard to imagine.
It made for a special night for Vincent, a herpetologist and photographer. The call of the Surinam golden-eyed tree frog is so powerful that it can be heard hundreds of meters away.