Leaping Lemur Mom Wins BigPicture’s 12th Annual Nature Photography Competition

Jun 19, 2025

Jeremy Gray

Seven golden monkeys climb and leap across sharp, gray limestone cliffs. One monkey is airborne mid-jump, while others walk, climb, or perch amid the jagged rocks. Sparse branches are visible in the lower left corner. — ‘Leap of Faith’ by Zhou Donglin, Grand Prize Winner. | BigPicture Photography Competition, California Academy of Sciences

The 12th edition of the annual California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture Photography Competition celebrates the world’s best nature, landscape, and wildlife photographers.

This year’s contest drew thousands of entries from around 60 different countries, featuring talented amateur photographers and well-known professionals in the wildlife and conservation fields.

Competition categories include Aquatic Life; Art of Nature; Human/Nature; Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Flora; Photo Story; Terrestrial Wildlife; and Winged Life, alongside a People’s Choice award and a Grand Prize.

Chinese wildlife and conservation photographer Donglin Zhou won this year’s Grand Prize for her fantastic photograph, “Lemur’s Tough Life,” seen above, which shows a common brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus) making an incredible leap in Madagascar with her baby on her back while other lemurs watch in the distance.

Zhou hiked across rugged limestone rocks and waited for hours to capture this incredible photo. Zhou is also the co-founder of SKW Nature and has previously won awards for both her photography and ecological filmmaking projects, including The Snow Leopard and Pallas’ Cat Chronicles. Her works have been displayed at the Natural History Museum in London, the California Academy of Sciences, the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, and the Wildlife Conservation Summit in Singapore. Zhou won $5,000 for her victory.

Category Winners

Alongside Zhou’s Grand Prize-winning photo above, the other category winners are featured below. Each category winner took home $1,000 in cash.

Close-up of an octopus guarding its cluster of translucent eggs, each containing developing embryos, surrounded by the octopus’s tentacles with visible suction cups inside an underwater den. — ‘My Octopus Mother’ by Kat Zhou, Aquatic Life Winner. | BigPicture Photography Competition, California Academy of Sciences

Abstract image of swirling blue and white colors resembling turbulent ocean waves, with soft, blurred textures creating a sense of movement and dynamic energy. — ‘Unwavering Energy’ by Sandra Bartocha, Art of Nature Winner. | BigPicture Photography Competition, California Academy of Sciences. Read *PetaPixel*‘s interview with Sandra Bartocha for more information on her nature photography.

A group of people in green uniforms surround a rhinoceros in tall grass. Some hold ropes, while one person has fallen near the animal. The scene appears tense, with people moving quickly. Dense greenery is in the background. — ‘Rhino Rebound’ by Ami Vitale, Human/Nature Winner. | BigPicture Photography Competition, California Academy of Sciences. Read *PetaPixel*‘s interview with Ami Vitale to learn more about her conservation photography and career.

Abstract image of a dark, oval-shaped patch with cracks, resembling an eye, surrounded by light blue shading and intersected by dashed black lines on a white background. — ‘Icy Stare’ by Marcin Giba, Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Flora Winner. | BigPicture Photography Competition, California Academy of Sciences

A pack of five white Arctic wolves stands and walks across a snowy, white landscape, blending into the background. One wolf is close to the camera, looking forward, while others are scattered in the distance. — ‘Part of the Pack’ by Amit Eschel, Terrestrial Wildlife Winner | BigPicture Photography Competition, California Academy of Sciences

A translucent-winged bat flies below a large green leaf with three small bats clinging to its top side, set against a dark background. — ‘Tiny Tent Makers’ by ADvir Barkay, Winged Life Winner | BigPicture Photography Competition, California Academy of Sciences

A close-up of a fly covered in dewdrops perched on a plant, with sunlight shining brightly in the background over a field of green grass and blurred foliage. — ‘The World of Familiar Insects’ by Takuya Ishiguro, Photo Story: In My Backward Winner | BigPicture Photography Competition, California Academy of Sciences. Click here to view the full photo series.

Beyond the winners, the jury of professional wildlife and conservation photographers also selected finalists for each category. These are available to view on the BigPicture Photography Competition’s website.

Alongside the category winners, there will also be a People’s Choice Award. Voting for the People’s Choice award will take place from July 1 to July 31. Additional information, plus a fun photographic memory game, are available on the competition’s website. PetaPixel will feature all the contenders once voting opens next month.

 Image credits: BigPicture Photography Competition and the California Academy of Sciences. Individual photographers are credited in the captions.