Our Photographer of the Year 2025 is underway. The overall winners, runners up and their partners will enjoy a teamAG safari to explore the primal forests of Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the remote north of Congo-Brazzaville – in search of lowland gorillas, forest elephants, forest buffaloes, bongos and much more. Read more about the Photographer of the Year 2025 prizes here . Photographer of the Year is held in association with Ukuri and African Parks .
Photographer of the Year is now closed for entries. Final judging will take place during the month of May 2025, and the winners of Photographer of the Year will be announced in June 2025.
This is Gallery 2 of the Top 109. To see the other Photographer of the Year Top 109 galleries, click here: Gallery 1 ; Gallery 3 ; Gallery 4
An orange-breasted sunbird rests in the cup of a shuttlecock protea after feeding from the sweet nectar of the flower in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Cape Town, South Africa . © Braeme Holland Half dinosaur, half enigma. Shoebill in Mabamba Swamp, Uganda . © Andrieux Michel As the sun set, a young male leopard moved through the dry riverbed. He hunted quietly and successfully, catching and hiding impalas amidst the roots of a giant mashatu tree. Nearby, the growls of another leopard could be heard, keeping this leopard highly alert. By evening, he had caught and stashed four impalas (three of which can be seen in this photo). Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana . © Abrie Du Plessis A giant forest hog emerges from the evening rain, a rare glimpse into the secretive world of the Aberdare mountain range. Aberdare National Park, Kenya . © Nicolas Urlacher Metamorphosis. “Three young cheetahs were learning to hunt while the mother was observing their behaviour. A difficult scene to photograph: difficult to show the raw nature. For me, there is a kind of poetry in the precise second the image was captured – the four faces together, what looks like serene stillness in the dik-dik and the contradiction with the reality of the moment.” Samburu National Reserve, Kenya. © Marina Cano Lion’s-eye view. “This large male walked so close to our game drive vehicle I had to stop down to f10 to get the whole eye in focus.” Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa . © Benjamin Loon Moments after escaping a wild dog pursuit, a red lechwe finds itself ambushed by two Nile crocodiles in the shrinking waters of the delta. Okavango Delta, Botswana. © Pedro Amaral A lioness emerges from the glow of a fleeting sunset, slipping into the shadows of the encroaching night. Maasai Mara National Reserve , Kenya. © Andy Campbell A riotous rehearsal in the canopy. Juvenile baboons stage a slapstick performance as dusk calls the curtain – chaos and comedy are part of the troop’s bedtime routine. Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe . © Kalin Botev “Every detail matters in a rhino translocation. This moment captures coordinated human effort and urgency as a southern white rhino is manoeuvred into position for transport. Captured during an African Parks Rhino Rewild translocation, supported by WeWild Africa.” South Africa . © Wiki West “During breeding season, Verreaux’s eagles can be seen performing tandem flights as part of their mating rituals. It was during such a display that I was lucky enough to be positioned slightly higher on the cliff face as this beautiful creature glided past me. Shortly thereafter, I spotted the couple mating.” Langebaan, Western Cape, South Africa . © Geo Cloete Before returning to its pack, a battered and decrepit wild dog turns to scope out the photographer. Mana Pools National Park , Zimbabwe. © Turgay Uzer A red-headed finch survives by an inch as a young lanner falcon strikes and misses. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa . © Ernest Porter In a curious reversal of roles, a bull elephant looms behind a sleeping lioness, conjuring an almost theatrical image of predator stalked by herbivore. The elephant creeps with intent, before veering away, leaving the lioness to her sun-drenched obliviousness. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya . © Aidan Tinney Half reptile, half illusionist. The Namaqua chameleon pauses beside a rusted relic of desert life, its skin mirroring the metal’s mottled hues. Namibia . © Marcio Lisa A magnificent leopard in a grand and weathered fever tree. “My guide said he hadn’t seen a leopard in a year, so I had low expectations. As we photographed him, it began to rain heavily.” Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya . © Janis Hurley A southern ground-hornbill grasps its catch in its sharp bill – one final wriggle from the African bullfrog before being swallowed whole. Kruger National Park, South Africa . © Srikumar Balial A mountain gorilla lies in quiet contemplation as an orange butterfly flutters onto its fur – a fleeting moment of connection. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda . © Mary Schrader As the Chobe dry season is drawing to its gritty end, this herd breaks into a run towards the river – thirst driving urgency. As they reach the river, the sky splits open with a fierce thunderstorm, the elephants relishing the downpour. Chobe National Park, Botswana. © Wim van den Heever At 53, Craig is one of Amboseli’s elder statesmen. “When you have to scratch an itch, it is beneficial to have two tusks to keep your balance.” Amboseli National Park, Kenya . © Dewald Tromp A vulturine guineafowl stands poised, its feathers beautifully fanned and detailed in soft light. Samburu National Reserve, Kenya . © Sandra Risi “Lying down flat on the ground in front of this African rock python allowed me to capture an intimate portrait of an incredible snake.” Okavango Delta , Botswana. © Devon Jenkin The silverback leader of the Sabyinyo mountain gorilla family, contemplating a bamboo grove. Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda . © Charlie Wemyss-Dunn In the still of night, a porcupine emerges at a well-lit waterhole for a drink. Olkirimatian Conservancy, Kenya . © Marcello Galleano Breath visible in the dawn chill, a lion strides across dew-drenched grass. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya . © Jonathan Wosinski A fading giant in a vanishing world. With each blurred movement, the photographer mourns that we are losing large portions of animal populations across the continent. “I employed an in-camera technique called Intentional Camera Movement for this photo. With my camera’s shutter open, a brief period of time elapses. In this fraction of a second, the elephant begins to fade – all because of the disruption I cause by moving my hands. This photograph is a metaphor for the conservation catastrophe that has transpired in a short amount of time, at the hand of man.” Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia . © Greg du Toit Building a wall with bare hands and mud. Arba Minch, Ethiopia. © Fengying Long To comment on this story: Login (or sign up) to our app here - it's a troll-free safe place 🙂.
