A haunting image of a brown hyena strolling through the ruins of an abandoned diamond mining town in Kolmanskop, Namibia, has won the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 award. The shot, titled “Ghost Town Visitor”, was taken by South African photographer Wim van den Heever, and is the result of a decade of patience and persistence. Discover Wildlife Star History Museum+3
Brown hyenas are among the rarest hyena species, known for their solitary and nocturnal nature. Van den Heever set up camera traps throughout the ghostly streets of Kolmanskop, where the hyena had left faint tracks years ago. It took countless attempts and nights of waiting before he finally captured this remarkable vision. Discover Wildlife
The winning photo also snagged the Urban Wildlife category, underscoring the image’s power to blend wildlife with a human-abandoned environment. The exhibition of 2025’s winning wildlife images opens at the Natural History Museum, London, on October 17. National Geographic
This shot highlights not just the beauty and mystery of nature, but also how wildlife can reclaim spaces once ruled by humans — a potent reminder of resilience and coexistence. Sky News
