Heartbreaking Owl Portrait Wins European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025

The European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 winners have just been announced and history was made. For the first time in the contest’s 25-year run, the overall winner is just 20 years old.

Berlin-based photographer Luca Lorenz earned the top prize with his deeply moving image Silent Despair, capturing a deeply moving moment: a Eurasian pygmy owl holding a still-living mouse in its talons, unaware that its fledglings it hunted for were no longer alive.

Luca Lorenz – The European Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s 2025 Winner

“In June, I spent several days observing a tree hollow in a deep forest, where a pair of pygmy owls were nesting,” Luca explains the background of his photo. “Tragically, the female likely fell prey to a sparrowhawk or tawny owl, leaving the male to care for their young alone.”

“When the time finally came for the young to leave the cave and sit on the branches, the male had a harder time looking after the young without the female. In the morning after the first night for the young outside the cave I discovered the male with an almost alive looking mouse in his claws. He was looking for his young and kept calling. Some time passed and he made no effort to eat the mouse himself, it was clearly destined for the young. I had the feeling that I could see his desperation in his searching look when I took this photo. In the days that followed, there was no sign of the fledglings. I suspect they fell victim to a tawny owl or marten on their first night outside. It was heartbreaking to witness, but such is the harsh reality of nature.”

Judge Bruno D’Amicis shared the jury’s reaction: “We were transported out of the chaos of the world directly into a resin-scented spruce forest. This is a timeless story of life and death, told without brutality or blood, without winners or losers. A nuanced, gentle reminder that there is no evil in nature.”

The image is almost painterly, which reflects Luca’s signature style. Entirely self-taught, he leans into quiet moments, using abstraction and minimalism to evoke mood and reflection. He hopes to share the wonder he’s always felt for nature, especially with those who might otherwise overlook its subtleties.

A record-breaking year for the competition

The 2025 edition received nearly 24,500 entries from photographers in 48 countries – the highest number in its history. From those, 107 images were selected across nine core categories and two special awards.

“This year was overwhelming – in the best possible way,” said Sabine Riewenherm, President of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), which patroned the contest. “The response reflects the recognition of the GDT’s guiding principles and the high regard in which this award is held worldwide.”

The awards were revealed at the GDT International Nature Photography Festival on 24 October, with the winning images set to tour Europe for the next three years. The exhibition opens at the German Horse Museum in Verden this December.

The 2025 Category Winners

This year’s nine category winners showcase an exciting mix of technique, drama, and emotion:

• Birds – Terje Kolaas (Norway)
• Mammals – Federica Cordero (Italy)
• Other Animals – Tibor Litauszki (Hungary)
• Plants and Fungi – Tobias Richter (Germany)
• Landscapes – David Menzel (Germany)
• Underwater World – Angel Fitor (Spain)
• Humans and Nature – Britta Jaschinski (UK)
• Nature’s Studio – Hannu Ahonen (Finland)

Spotlighting Youth, Rewilding, and Storytelling

The contest also celebrated young photographers this year. Lubin Godin of France (13) won in the 14-and-under category, while Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas (Germany) took the 15–17 age group prize.

Spanish photographer Jon A. Juárez received the Rewilding Europe Award for Comeback of the Atlantic Sturgeon, highlighting efforts to restore wild ecosystems. And the Fritz Pölking Prize, awarded for photographic storytelling, went to Javier Aznar for a thought-provoking essay on rattlesnakes and their complicated place in human history. The Fritz Pölking Junior Prize went to Tobias Gjerde (Norway) for his series Norwegian Winter.

About the Contest

Founded in 2001 and organized by the German Society for Nature Photography (GDT), the competition is now a benchmark for modern wildlife photography – not just in Europe, but globally. Strict on digital manipulation and proud of its transparent selection process, the contest rewards creativity, emotional impact, and the courage to experiment. Many of today’s best-known wildlife photographers got their start here.

Thanks to support from sponsors like Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Rewilding Europe, this year’s winners shared over €43,500 in prizes, including a €3,000 top prize and a photo safari to the Masai Mara for the overall winner.

I leave you now to admire the selection of this year’s category winners. Don’t forget to check out the contest website for more information and images.

More from European Wildlife Photographer of the Year

• Dramatic underwater image of hippo family wins European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022
• Photo of stinkbug’s maternal behavior wins 2023 European Wildlife Photographer of the Year
• Magical forest with thousands of butterflies wins 2024 The European Wildlife Photographer of the Year

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