Leading wildlife photographers will have their work displayed in Wolverhampton
This abandoned Ghost Town that used to be a diamond mine is slowly being reclaimed by the harsh Namib desert. From day one I have always dreamt about a photograph of an elusive and endangered Brown Hyena prowling the abandoned streets at night.
I only once saw a set of Hyena footprints next to the ruins, but I knew the area is known for fairly good Brown Hyena activity.
I spoke to the security guard at the entrance of the Ghost Town about the frequency of sightings within the Ghost Town. He told me that they pass through every 4 to 6 weeks on average so I knew there was always going to be a possibility.
Every single time I visited the Ghost Town I’d set up camera traps in the hope of success.
It took me 10 years to finally get this one single image of a Brown Hyena in the most perfect frame imaginable.
I was ecstatic when I finally had success.
Photography fans in the region are in for a treat with the arrival of the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of The Year exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery this month.
The winners of the award were announced earlier this week, and now the country is getting a chance to have a closer look at the photography as it tours the country.
The competition which is run by the Natural History Museum, London, will showcase the images at the City’s art gallery where the images will be presented on large-scale lightboxes, with each photograph vividly brought to life.
This will allow visitors a striking visual encounter with biodiversity from around the world. The immersive experience is further enhanced by an atmospheric soundscape, designed to evoke the environments captured in the images.
Among the many images on display are Adult Grand Title Winner 2025, ‘Ghost Town Visitor’ by Wim van den Heever, and Young Grand Title Winner 2025, ‘After the Destruction’ by Andrea Dominizi.
Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, said: “Now in its 61st year, we are thrilled to continue Wildlife Photographer of the Year as a powerful platform for visual storytelling, showing the diversity, beauty and complexity of the natural world and humanity’s relationship to it.”
Kathy Moran, Chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Jury, said: “There is nothing more rewarding or moving than seeing our relationship to the natural world, in all its complexity and splendour, shared on the world’s biggest platform for wildlife photography.”
Councillor Chris Burden, City of Wolverhampton Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, said: “We’re proud to welcome back the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition to Wolverhampton Art Gallery. I encourage everyone, especially our young people who can visit for free, to come and be inspired by the power of photography.”
Tickets – starting from just £4.40 free entry for under 21s – are on sale now at Events for 25/10/2025
Wolverhampton Art Gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 10.30am to 4.30pm, and Sunday, 11am to 4pm. For more information, please visit Wolverhampton Arts and Culture.
