export_ofoct.com

[00:00.42] Can you imagine waiting ten years to take the perfect photograph?

[00:06.53] With phones accessible in our pocket, it's easier than ever to take photos of nature and wildlife, providing we can find it.

[00:15.82] But what skills do the most successful wildlife photographers have?

[00:20.60] Talent, patience, curiosity and resilience.

[00:25.92] The winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 was South African wildlife photographer Wim van den Heever.

[00:35.22] His shot depicts a brown hyena lit up in an abandoned mining town in the Namibian desert and was the culmination of ten years' work.

[00:45.04] So why was it so difficult to capture? The subject is a shy creature, mostly active at night, and the Namib Desert often succumbs to thick fog, while easterly winds can pile sand up to a metre high.

[00:59.65] "I had one or two years where cameras just got absolutely trashed," he says.

[01:06.02] The images captured in this competition are not just stunning, they are also powerful glimpses into the fragile, complex and beautiful ecosystems we share.

[01:16.38] The picture that won Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 is of a longhorn beetle appearing to look out at big logging machinery which is chopping down its habitat.

[01:28.87] The photographer has cleverly framed the beetle and machinery to be equal in size, which one of the judges commented on.

[01:37.10] "The photographer has given M. asper authority in this image.

[01:41.62] It does exactly what a strong photograph should do – it increases our understanding.”

[01:47.73] A strong visual can not only provoke the urgency of conservation but can also give us glimpses into the unexpected.

[01:55.70] This year a Belgian photographer captured a startling image of one of the world's only maritime lions.

[02:03.14] These big cats moved from their traditional hunting grounds in the Namib Desert in 2017 and have since learnt to hunt fur seals along the Atlantic coast.

[02:14.56] "The photo shows how resilient these animals are… that they change their habitat to survive," says the photographer, Van Malderen.

[02:23.85] What wildlife could you capture? Grab your phone, explore nature and see what you can find.