For Mark, this is not his first appearance in this contest: last year he became a finalist with a photograph of a white-tailed eagle taken off the coast of Hokkaido Island. This year, he presented his work again, this time featuring a gorilla, which, according to him, was the result of several days of observation.
The photographer described his impressions of the trip: "We spent four unforgettable days in the misty Virunga mountains, searching for gorilla families, and one day we stumbled upon a large family of Amahoro resting in a clearing. One of the young males amazed us with his acrobatic tricks, and I’m glad I could capture his playful nature."
In the "Birds" category, the winner was Warren Price from the UK with his work "Head Grab," which depicts common murres.
Warren explained that he captured the moment when one murre was caught off guard, its head in the beak of another bird. "I loved how it looked straight into the lens, emphasizing its predicament," he added.
Jenny Stock, also from the UK, won in the "Fish and Other Aquatic Species" category with her photograph "Little Smile," featuring a blue-striped clingfish, known for its rare defense mechanism.
She shared: "In the Philippines, during a dive, this little fish poked its head out from its coral hideout. I took several shots and was amazed by its smile."
The "Reptiles, Amphibians, and Insects" category was won by 13-year-old Grayson Bell from the USA with his work "Unintentional Baptism," taken in 2023.
Grayson noted that his photo became a favorite among his parents, who saw it as a funny moment where one frog seemed to be baptizing another.
The winner in the "Young Photographer Under 25" category was Paula Rustemeyer from Germany with a photograph of foxes "competing" in breakdancing.
Maggie Hoffman from the USA won in the "Amazing Internet Portfolio" category with an image of a young female chimpanzee searching for "gold" in her nose.
Tatiana Epp from Germany became the winner in the "Video" category with her clip "Stork Surfer," filmed in Kruger National Park in March 2025.
Alison Tuck's work from the UK, "So Which Way Is My Nest?" was highly praised by the jury. The photograph depicts a northern fulmar lost due to strong winds, taken in Yorkshire in July 2023.
Also among the laureates:
- Annette Kirby (Australia) with the work "Go Away!" taken in February 2025 on the Sirenho Peninsula, featuring a white-tailed eagle in a snow pit;
- Christie Greenton (Canada) with "Bad Hair Day";
- Brett Zaalevhter (USA) with "I Just Can't Wait to Be King";
- Erkko Badermann (Finland) with "Chassis Released";
- Kalin Botev (Bulgaria) with "Monkey Circus";
- Liliana Luca (Italy) with "Performance by Fonzie";
- Mark Met-Con (UK) with "Aaaaaava - Mama";
- Valtteri Mulkahainen (Finland) with "Smile - You're Being Photographed";
- Meline Elwanger (USA) with "Choir".
