A bellowing deer and a roadside swan: British photo award shows surprising city wildlife

(CNN) — In a west London park, a giant red deer roars in the rain. In the south of the city, a swan sits on the side of a road as a red bus hurtles by. And in Bristol, in southwest England, a streetwise urban fox glares territorially at the camera. All three images were recognized in the 2025 British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA), with the image of the vixen claiming the grand prize.

The award, in its 13th year, spotlights Britain’s nature, from its marine life and mountain ecosystems to its city dwellers.

The goal is “to showcase the extraordinary beauty and diversity of Britain’s natural world,” said Will Nicholls, director of BWPA, in a press release. “This year’s competition not only celebrates the artistry and dedication of our photographers but also serves as a powerful reminder of our responsibility to protect these wild spaces.”

Britain’s wildlife has suffered a devastating decline in recent years. According to a landmark 2023 report, nearly one in six species is at risk of extinction and plants and animals monitored since the 1970s have declined by an average of 19%.

Nicholls believes that photography can help to raise awareness of nature. “We hope this collection inspires others to appreciate, respect, and safeguard the wildlife that makes Britain so unique,” he said.

Photographer Simon Withyman, who took away the grand prize of £3,500 ($4,500), photographed the same fox for three years, following it as it patrolled the streets of Bristol and raised its offspring. With the winning photo, he said he “wanted to showcase some beauty in this everyday urban scene.”

More than 13,000 images were submitted to this year’s competition, across 10 categories. The Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year title went to nine-year-old Jamie Smart for her image of a curlew among dandelions, taken in Wiltshire, southwest England.

Ben Lucas won the 15 to 17 years category with his comical image of pigeons peering into a packet of fries on a high street in the east of England.

“When I found a packet of fries someone had abandoned, I knew that it wouldn’t be long until it attracted opportunistic pigeons. I set up a small GoPro camera in the back of the packet, and after some very weird looks from people passing by, the birds finally started to show up,” he said in a press release. “These birds are truly the vultures of the streets.”

While dramatic photographs of snowy landscapes in Scotland and sharks and seals off the UK’s coast were also among the winning images, city wildlife dominated this year’s awards.

“With urban sprawl a continuing problem around the world … animals and humans are coming into contact in towns and cities across the globe. Urban wildlife photography allows us to see how animals are learning to live alongside humans in a rapidly environment,” Nicholls told CNN.

“For those living in the city, having a connection to nature is increasingly challenging,” he added. “These images that focus of urban areas show people that they can still connect to nature even in built-up areas.”

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