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Hey, ready for some jaw-dropping wildlife pics? We’re diving right into the coolest photos from the 2025 National Wildlife Photo Contest. Trust me, these shots are so stunning, you might feel like hugging a fox or high-fiving a flamingo!
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Grand Prize Winner: That Fox Knows How to Chill (By Kathleen Borshanian)
Location: St. George Island, Alaska.
Imagine a cliff so high, fox trails teeter right on the edge! Kathleen spotted a blue Arctic fox minding her own business while her little kits snoozed nearby. She snapped it all from a safe distance, making sure not to disturb these cool creatures.
This contest isn’t just about pretty pictures - it’s got everything. Birds, baby animals, epic landscapes, people hanging out in nature, and even snapshots taken on phones! Plus, it’s all about showing off the wild side of our planet and reminding us why we need to keep it safe and sound.
So buckle up, because these photos are about to take you on a wild ride!
Baby Foxes at Play! (By Steffen Foerster)
Location: San Juan Island, Washington.
Steffen caught these little red fox kits having a blast on the island. These foxes were brought in to curb rabbits but ended up becoming the island’s own furry stars. One cuddly kit even sought comfort from mom during their playtime - aww!
Turkey Family Bedtime Story (By Robert Cook)
Location: Manhattan, Montana.
Robert snapped a turkey and her little poults heading back to their cottonwood tree for the night. It was a rare glimpse of this bird family’s nightly routine - talk about a front-row seat!
Flamingos Just Wanna Have Fun (By Ajay Kumar Singh)
Location: Eker, Bahrain.
Ajay snapped flamingos hanging out in a mangrove patch at dawn. Picture this: early morning light, dark skies, and a flock of pink flamingos stealing the show with their graceful poses.
Fire’s Wild Afterparty (By Jason Mirandi)
Location: Slatington, Pennsylvania.
Jason, a firefighter, caught the smoldering aftermath of a controlled burn that battled a 600-acre wildfire. Glowing embers and twisted branches make this scene look like a spooky fire party!
Peregrine Falcons: The Fast & Furious Parents (By Jack Zhi)
Location: San Diego, California.
Jack has been stalking peregrine falcons for seven years. These speedy birds protect their kids by chasing away giant pelicans with crazy moves. Mama birds? Basically superheroes.
A Coyote’s Sunset Silhouette (By Leo Dale)
Location: Point Reyes National Seashore, California.
17-year-old Leo spotted a lone coyote chilling on a hill right as the sky threw the prettiest sunset party. Silhouette goals!
Mushroom or Alien Rays? (By J. Fritz Rumpf)
Location: Woods Canyon Lake, Arizona.
Is it a space scene? Nope, just a funky mushroom. J. Fritz almost missed this colorful little guy on his mushroom hunt, but the vibrant colors saved it from the compost bin.
Bison Marching Like They Own Yellowstone (By Mark Panasuk)
Location: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
Mark got front-row seats inside a snow coach while a heat-foggy bison parade approached. Minus 20 degrees outside? No sweat for these guys - they marched right past like royalty.
The Nearly Invisible Sea Creature (By Massimo Giorgetta)
Location: Lembeh Strait, Indonesia.
Massimo bumped into a see-through sea creature called a salp. It’s so small it’s like the ocean’s little ghost, complete with a crowd of tiny friends hitching a ride.
Tree Frog in Its Micro-Jungle (By Paige Rudolph)
Location: Escondido, California.
Paige caught this little tree frog hanging out in her home farm’s microgreens jungle. It’s like frog heaven, grown just for these tiny adventurers.
Leaf Weevil: The Lucky Shot (By Jess Steggall)
Location: Plymouth, Minnesota.
Jess didn’t think she nailed the shot, but surprise! A green immigrant leaf weevil hopped into the frame on her native shrub. She’s turned her yard into a wildlife hotspot, and this little guy is part of the party.
Epic Crab Traffic Jam! (By Zhengze Xu)
Location: Christmas Island, Australia.
Zhengze caught a mind-blowing moment: millions of red crabs on their annual migration. Picture early mornings, endless streets packed with crabs doing their thing. Roads blocked? More like crab-lanes!
Glowing Embers After the Burn (Also Jason Mirandi)
Location: Slatington, Pennsylvania.
Check this out again: Jason’s fiery photo showing that controlled burns can look like drama in nature’s theater, with glowing embers stealing the spotlight.
Volcano Road Race! (By Mike Mezeul II)
Location: Grindavík, Iceland.
Mike caught the heat (literally) as a van rushed past a lava flow just minutes before the road got eaten up by molten rock. Talk about cutting it close!
Peek-a-Boo, Nurse Shark! (By Remuna Beca)
Location: Bimini, Bahamas.
Remuna caught a shy nurse shark peeking just enough to lock eyes. Barbels out, it’s like shark hide-and-seek underwater.
Bats Squeeze Into City Niche (By Jasper Jonnalagadda)
Location: Morgan Hill, California.
Jasper was biking when he heard squeaks and found hundreds of bats packed tight into a freeway hole. City life, bat style!
Extreme Skiers vs. Mountain Giants (By Yhabril Moro)
Location: Pyrenees Mountains, Spain.
Yhabril captured skiers braving one of the steepest slopes around. The super-wide shot makes these daredevils look tiny next to the epic mountain backdrop. Brave or crazy? You decide.
Crab Migration Takes Over The Road (By Zhengze Xu - Part 2)
Location: Christmas Island, Australia.
More from Zhengze’s epic crab saga! Roads are packed, and the crabs are on the move. This is the migration party you’ve gotta see to believe.
More Crab Madness (By Zhengze Xu - Part 3)
Location: Christmas Island, Australia.
Zhengze keeps the crab stories coming with another snapshot of this crustacean traffic jam. The crab party is just getting started!
Even More Crabby Goodness (By Zhengze Xu - Part 4)
Location: Christmas Island, Australia.
Yep, one more from Zhengze because when you’re this good at spotting crab traffic jams, you just keep clicking!
The Final Crab Traffic Jam Shot (By Zhengze Xu - Part 5)
Location: Christmas Island, Australia.
Zhengze wraps up the crab migration saga with one last epic capture. Seriously, who knew crabs could cause such a scene?
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