Breathtaking Wildlife Photos That Showcase the Untamed World in 2025.

1 # Highly Commended in Animal Portraits: ‘Lioness Eyes Behind Birds’ by South African Photographer Willem Kruger.

I’m lucky enough to visit the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park several times a year. The park sits in a semi-arid region, so it often goes through long, extremely dry periods with only a few scattered thunderstorms. When I captured this photo, the conditions were especially harsh—so dry that flocks of tiny birds were gathering at the waterhole for any chance to drink. One early morning, while we were parked quietly near the water, a pride of lions made their way toward the waterhole. Even as the lions approached, the birds kept arriving in waves, landing for a split second at the water’s edge before quickly taking off again. In the moment I photographed, a burst of birds lifted into the air just as one of the lionesses bent down to drink. She watched them closely—after all, lions are hunters by nature, and anything that moves catches their attention. But she didn’t try to chase or catch them. It was incredible to watch these tiny birds risk getting so close to danger simply to get a drink, all while a fully alert lioness was right beside them. Her sharp, focused expression showed she was ready to react to even the slightest movement. I was fortunate that my vehicle happened to be positioned perfectly to frame both the lioness and the birds together—especially since visitors must stay on the designated roads and can’t go off-track in the park.