Art / Photography
Photo of Bristol fox winner of prestigious wildlife photography award
A photo of a red fox on patrol in Bristol city centre is the overall winner of the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2025.
Photographer Simon Withyman had been photographing this vixen for three years and says he “was instantly drawn to the interesting perspective effect of these railings and wanted to showcase some beauty in this everyday urban scene”.
The fox in the photo, entitled ‘Urban Explorer’, is standing in front of the footbridge that goes over Lower Castle Street from Castle Park, with further access blocked between the Marriott Hotel and the NCP car park.
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Withyman’s photo won the Urban Wildlife category of the prestigious awards before being named as the overall winner.
Writing on his Instagram account, eatsleepfoxrepeat, Withyman said: “If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that my urban fox project has been a labour of love for a number of years.
“Having an image from this collection crowned the winner is insane and means so much to me.
“When the news arrived in my email inbox, I had to double-check with my partner Carly to make sure I had read it correctly.
“This fox was particularly adventurous, and I lost track of her for 18 months, until I rediscovered her miles from her parental territory.
“I attempted to capture this image on multiple occasions, but eventually all the stars aligned and it turned out better than I ever expected.
“I took this image back in 2023, but unfortunately, only a few days later, I lost track of her again and haven’t seen her since.
“She was a force to be reckoned with and I hope she’s still out there somewhere, maybe raising another set of cubs.”
“For approximately three years, I had been photographing this vixen and was able to track her movements across the city,” says Simon Withyman. “Surprisingly, she covered large distances, eventually moving over a mile away from her original parental territory. In the city, that means a lot of roads, hazards and other fox territories to contend with.” – photo: Simon Withyman
BWPA director, Will Nicholls, said: “The British Wildlife Photography Awards continues to showcase the extraordinary beauty and diversity of Britain’s natural world.
“This year’s competition not only celebrates the artistry and dedication of our photographers but also serves as a powerful reminder of our responsibility to protect these wild spaces.
“We hope this collection inspires others to appreciate, respect and safeguard the wildlife that makes Britain so unique.”
Main photo: Simon Withyman
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