Pangolin Photo Safaris has announced the winners of the 2025 Pangolin Photo Challenge, a global wildlife photography competition in which the entry fee took the form of a donation of any amount to Pangolin Africa, a South African registered non-profit organisation dedicated to the preservation and protection of all four African pangolin species. The competition attracted more than 5,200 image submissions across six categories and raised a total of close to R850,000 — approximately $50,000 USD, £40,000 GBP, or €43,000 EUR — sufficient to fund the purchase of two dedicated pangolin rescue vehicles for deployment in the field.

“You have no idea how much this means to us,” said Toby Jermyn, Co-Founder and Director of both Pangolin Photo Safaris and Pangolin Africa. “The generosity of everybody who entered and donated has made something truly extraordinary possible.”

First Rescue Vehicle Delivered to the Kalahari Wildlife Project

The first of the two vehicles — a brand-new Toyota Hilux 4×4 — has already been delivered to Machel van Niekerk, the driving force behind the Kalahari Wildlife Project, which serves as the Pangolin Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre for the Northern Cape province.

For the past five years, Machel had been operating from a 2010 Toyota Fortuner with nearly 300,000 kilometres on the clock — a vehicle that was not 4×4 and had a persistent tendency to become lodged in the sandy terrain of the Northern Cape. The new Hilux represents a significant operational upgrade and was further enhanced through the generosity of a number of local sponsors who contributed accessories at no cost.

The handover ceremony, held at Upington Toyota, was a testament to the generosity of numerous partners. Elsabè Gresse at Upington Toyota and Pamela Kruger at My 4×4 Fitment Upington played instrumental roles in coordinating the event and rallying suppliers to ensure the vehicle was fully outfitted for its purpose.

Additional vehicle sponsors: Bull bar & underbody protection (GOBI-X) · Suspension (Opposite Lock – Tough Dog) · Advanced lighting (GLO-Tech&Lumeno) · Radio (AutoTech) – Canopy (RAMkappie) · Awning & Snorkel (Ironman) · Exhaust system (JBC) · Spacers (OFFROAD)

“Thank you to everyone. You don’t know how much it means to us and to the Kalahari Wildlife Project,” said Machel van Niekerk at the handover. “The work that we are doing is not easy in the veld. This will make it all worth it.”

A second pangolin rescue vehicle is currently in the process of being purchased, and Pangolin Africa anticipates its deployment in the near future.

2025 Pangolin Photo Challenge: Category Winners

The 2025 Pangolin Photo Challenge featured six competitive categories, each offering a six-night all-inclusive stay at the Pangolin Chobe Hotel or a $2,000 USD voucher redeemable against any Pangolin Photo Safari. The category winners are as follows:

Category	Image Title	Photographer	Country
Birds of the World	Black Tern	Arkadiusz Dobrowolski	Poland
Out of Africa	Near and Far	Janet Gustin	USA
Mammal Behaviour	Anybody Home	Jens Cullmann	Germany
Water as an Element	The Bounty	Brian Kelly	USA
Monochrome	Lion Kings	Angela J. Sanchez	USA

Best of 2025: The Overall Winner

The coveted Best of 2025 title — selected from all entries across the competition — was awarded to Caterina Dona of Italy for her image entitled Humanity. The photograph, taken in a challenging low-light environment using a Nikon Z8 with a 180–600mm lens at ISO 25,600, captures the hands of a gorilla in intimate, emotive focus against a softly darkened background.

“This is one of those images that just speaks to you,” said Guts Swanepoel, Co-Founder and Director of Pangolin Photo Safaris. “The focus on the fingers, the gorilla soft in the background — it is so emotional. She had to push the ISO to 25,600 to achieve this in the dark, and combined with clever post-processing, the result is stunning.”

Caterina Dona wins a place for two on the Best of Chobe Photo Safari, Pangolin’s most popular photographic safari experience, comprising three nights aboard the Pangolin Voyager houseboat and three nights at the Pangolin Chobe Hotel, accompanied by a dedicated Pangolin Photo Host.