The Out of Africa Challenge 2025

We’re delighted to share our highly commended, runner-up, and winning images selected for the Out of Africa category in the 2025 Pangolin Photo Challenge, along with the camera settings used to capture these incredible shots!

This round focused on wildlife subjects not found on the African continent. Any image taken on any continent outside of Africa was eligible, from the tiniest insects, reptiles, and amphibians to the largest of creatures. We even accepted birdlife, as long as they were not migrants to Africa.

In case you missed it, here are the finalists from which the images below were chosen.

Highly Commended
Sparring Roos, by Jason Moore (Australia)

SONY ILCE-1 with an FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter

f/5.0 | 1/3200 | 420 mm | ISO 640

“A pair of adolescent Western Grey Kangaroo bucks sparring in the late afternoon light. I’m fond of the rim lighting on the subjects, and the warm foreground tones provide a perfect stage which is contrasted against the dark background.” – Jason

SONY ILCE-7RM5 with an FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS

f/6.9 | 1/250 | 90 mm | ISO 200

“I took this in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India. This was shot on May 28th, 2024. This is a Sind Sand Gecko and it was standing at the edge of a sand dune. Up close, this looked like a mythical creature , attending resilient in a sand storm. I wanted to capture that feeling, of standing tall even in face of adversity. What is so special about this image for me is the various layers it has and the meaning it conveys.” – Debabrata

SONY ILCE-9M3 with an FE 600mm F4 GM OSS + 1.4x Teleconverter

f/5.0 | 1/200 | 840 mm | ISO 4000

 “Just as a light shower started, a juvenile Tawny Frogmouth stretches her wings acting as an shade keeping the others dry.” – Donald

CANON EOS R5 Mark II with an RF600mm F4 L IS USM

f/4.0 | 1/800 | 600mm | ISO 6400

“I followed a family of foxes this spring. Every June we have a lot of big, flying bugs in Switzerland, and it was a joy to watch the young foxes hunting these bugs.” – Barbara

SONY ILCE-7RM5 with an FE 90mm F2.8 MACRO G OSS

f/3 | 1/40 | 90 mm | ISO 4000

“The scorpion lit up using UV light, amidst the sand is alone, in a poetic embrace with the patterns on the sand. Shot in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India” – Debabrata

CANON EOS R5 MARK II WITH AN RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

f/6.0 | 1/3200 | 500 mm | ISO 500

“I captured this image of Gentoo penguin in Antarctica. We were passing amazing Iceberg formations when I noticed this single Gentoo penguin up on an ice shelf. I have no idea how it got up there, but it had certainly found a place to reflect. I hope it had a fun slide back into the water.” – Richard

CANON EOS R5 with an RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM

f/5.3 | 1/2000 | 400 mm | ISO 5000

“On a snow-covered Finnish lek, two male black grouse face off in perfect symmetry.” – Kevin

NIKON Z9 with an NIKKOR Z 600mm F/4 TC VR S

f/5.0 | 1/5000 | 840 mm | ISO 1250

“In the wild, power is not given; it is claimed. These foxes, against an unforgiving landscape, are not fighting out of malice, but necessity. Power in nature is often contested through displays like this; ritualised aggression meant to establish boundaries, secure mates, or claim food. These foxes remind us that power also lies in resilience. The Arctic is one of the harshest environments on Earth. To live here, let alone thrive, is a testament to adaptation, endurance, and instinct. Svalbard is a raw and an untamed place, filled with magic and wonder. But despite its beauty, the threat of global warming looms large. For me, it is essential to recognise and reflect on that reality, even while immersed in such an extraordinary setting. Only through awareness and action can we help protect these incredible animals and the fragile world they call home.” – Malini

CANON EOS with an EF400mm F/2.8l IS II

f/4.0 | 1/400 | 400 mm | ISO 1000

“A young golden jackal proves that he has won the fight. Although there are a very large number of golden jackals in the Danube Delta, and therefore no need to bait them, the animals are very shy and you have to be well hidden. It looked as if this golden jackal was about to attack me, but he hadn’t even seen me.” – Gerhard

ILCE-1 with an FE 50-150mm F2 GM

f/5.7 | 1/1600 | 94 mm | ISO 800

“Time seems suspended on this otherworldly stage where past and future converge. One bear moves deliberately toward tomorrow while another lingers in the distant yesterday, both navigating the liminal space between earth and sky, reality and dream. Shot from the mudflat’s perspective, this haunting composition transforms Alaska’s wilderness into almost mythical – a place where ancient souls traverse an endless gray canvas, carrying the weight of the wilderness itself across the threshold between worlds.” – Janet

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