Unseen Moments: 76 Stunning Wildlife Photos That Captivated the NPOTY People’s Choice Over the Years

The conservation of the critically endangered Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda is one of Africa’s rare success stories and serves as a beacon of hope for the continent. Fewer than 1,000 individuals remain in the rainforests that border Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC. During gorilla trekking, visitors are allowed to approach within 7-10 meters of individual gorilla families, though maintaining a safe distance is not always easy for the gorillas themselves.

The dominant Silverback casually flopped down directly in front of me, observing his reflection in my lens. Surrounded by thick vegetation, I had nowhere else to move and adopted a submissive posture, keeping my eyes downcast. He reached out his hand to touch his reflection, and for the briefest moment, I imagined him extending his hand to greet me as an old friend—a moment in time I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Image taken in Rwanda at Volcanoes National Park
Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)

I took this photo in Hungary during the winter. Deer are quite common here and primarily inhabit forest edges, with scattered fields and meadows. As food becomes scarcer in winter, many deer visit crop fields to feed. To help, experts (such as forest officers and national park staff) set up feeding stations in various locations throughout the forests, making food more accessible to the deer.

I took the photo from a bird hide in a small, secluded field within the forest. There were lights positioned in front of the hide and others installed behind the “scene,” where seeds were scattered, waiting for the deer. A small birdbath was also placed nearby, where the reflection of the deer appeared. All I had to do was wait for the deer to show up.

In the Czech Republic, including here in the city of Olomouc, Eurasian jackdaws commonly breed in abandoned holes excavated in housing insulation by woodpeckers. Silhouettes of birds, usually raptor-shaped, are used to deter birds from buildings. Here, the jackdaws were breeding above a fulmar silhouette, as seen by the abraded area at the top of the picture. I cropped the image to eliminate the nest cavity, for a minimalist and effective composition. The jackdaw’s puzzled expression says it all: ‘Why the fulmar?!’

I found this abandoned wasp nest in my garden. Jumping spiders love to hide in small places, so I thought it might be interesting to introduce the nest to the spider, who was wandering on my backyard patio. As expected: he loved it!

The spider was exploring the wasp nest with confidence, and after a little while, he settled down in one of the abandoned tubes and turned his attention to me. Jumping spiders are very attentive, they like to observe my gear, especially the diffuser. I always find it fascinating how they are looking around curiously, trying to decipher what they are staring at. Usually, I like to portray spiders in vivid, colorful environments, but in this case, I especially liked that the colors of the spider matched the colors of the nest, making it a good hiding spot for the spider.

For several years now, I have been working on a photo project about raccoons with a friend. The photo of the female and her offspring was also taken in this context. I observed the family for many days and the female was not shy towards me, which is why I had the chance to document intimate insights into her family life. I didn’t use a flash to take the photo.

I spend a couple of weeks in the Amboseli region of Kenya each year working and photographing some of the huge tuskers of Africa. I specifically enjoy working with this one huge iconic bull, named Craig. This magnificent gentle giant is such an amazing animal to be around, with his gentle demeanor and awe-inspiring presence. Knowing the general route he was moving towards, I placed a camera on a ground pod and waited for him to approach. I was lucky when he stopped and stared at the camera when walking past it. With a remote control, I managed to trigger the camera and capture this scene. An absolute highlight of my life for me!

During our stay in Uganda, the guides wanted to take us to the gorillas and the Nshongi family, among which they suspected the birth of a new group member. The guides mentioned such a possibility, but they were not sure. The female, which the guides had seen pregnant before, had been hiding deep in the bushes for many days and did not allow anyone to come closer to be observed.

When my other companions walked away, looking for a convenient position to observe and take photos hoping that the female would show them her newly born offspring, I stayed where I was, watching a group of gorillas hidden in dense bushes. This tactic paid off because, for a short moment, the female turned towards me, showing her gorilla, which was a few days old. I only had to be quick to find the gap between the branches crossing in all directions and get a reasonably clear frame. I was successful, and the birth of a new gorilla has been confirmed. This seven-day-old toddler, cuddled against his mother’s breast, is tenderly touched by his much older brother.

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