A deeply moving photograph of a male pygmy owl holding prey for his missing offspring has won the 2025 European Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. The winning image, titled "Silent Despair," was captured by 20-year-old Luca Lorenz from Berlin, Germany, making him the youngest overall winner in the competition's 25-year history.
The photograph tells a tragic story of loss in the wild. Lorenz had been observing a pair of pygmy owls nesting in a tree cavity deep within a German forest when the female disappeared, likely killed by a tawny owl or hawk. Left to care for their young alone, the male owl struggled with the overwhelming responsibility of single parenthood.
The heartbreaking moment was captured when the owl chicks left their nest cavity and perched on branches, still unable to fly. The morning after their first night outside, Lorenz found the male owl clutching a mouse in his talons for several minutes—an unusual behavior since the prey was clearly intended for his offspring. The owl repeatedly called for his young, but received no response. The chicks had likely fallen victim to predators during their vulnerable first night outside the nest.
"Silent despair—not only from the mouse's perspective!" Lorenz wrote in his description. "I felt that I could see the despair in his searching eyes as I took this picture. It was heartbreaking for me to witness this situation." The photographer's ability to capture such raw emotion in wildlife earned praise from the judging panel.
The competition received a record-breaking 24,500 image submissions from amateur and professional photographers across 48 countries. An international jury of five members spent three days deliberating to select 107 winning images across nine categories, plus two special prizes including the Rewilding Europe Award. The German Society for Nature Photographers (GDT) organizes the annual contest, which is open to GDT members and European residents.
Jury member Bruno D'Amicis, an award-winning wildlife photographer, explained the impact of Lorenz's winning image: "During our long journey through light, color, drama, and action, a quiet, almost restrained image caught our attention. Suddenly, we found ourselves transported out of the chaos of the world directly into a resin-scented spruce forest. The photographer grants us insight into the hidden life of a silent, inconspicuous creature—an animal that reveals itself only to those who bring patience and respect."
The competition showcased exceptional work across multiple categories. Norwegian photographer Terje Kolaas won the Birds category with "Swan Lake," a ethereal image of whooper swans gathered on an ice-free river during heavy snowfall. Spanish photographer Federica Cordero claimed the Mammals category with "Time for a Swim!" featuring Eurasian otters she discovered while originally searching for Iberian lynx in Andalusia.
Other notable winners included Angel Fitor from Spain, who took the Underwater World category with "Unsung Heroes," showing polychaete worms expelling sand from their burrows in a Mediterranean seagrass meadow. The photographer completed 20 dives over two months, spending five hours each dive lying motionless at 8 meters depth to capture the rare moment of two worms simultaneously releasing sand plumes.
The contest also recognized young talent across age groups. Lubin Godin from France, aged 14 or under, won the Young Photographer category with "At Dawn," capturing Alpine ibex resting on rocky outcrops in morning mist. In the 15-17 age group, Germany's Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas won with "Predator," a detailed focus-stacked image of a pseudoscorpion preying on a springtail, created from 104 separate exposures.
Several images addressed conservation themes and human impact on nature. Britta Jaschinski's "Forensics" won the Man and Nature category, showing a green sea turtle photographed under ultraviolet light to demonstrate forensic techniques used to combat wildlife trafficking. The haunting image "War is Near" by Finland's Hannu Ahonen captured frost crystals around a bullet hole, serving as a chilling reminder of nearby conflicts.
The winners were announced at a special ceremony during the GDT International Nature Photography Festival. This European competition complements GDT's Nature Photographer of the Year contest, highlighting the exceptional work of European wildlife photographers and promoting greater appreciation for the continent's diverse wildlife and natural landscapes.
