Forget about tonight’s Oscars because here are the 2025 N.U.T.T.E.R Award Winners
The polls have closed. The votes have been counted. And the winners are …
Actually before I get into that – and for those who are new to the site – the NUTTER Awards are the annual mammalwatching awards for the most Notable, Unique, Tantalizing, Tenacious and Enlightening Reports: the N.U.T.T.E.R Awards, aka the Mammalwatching Hall of Fame. They rival tonight’s Oscars in prestige. And while we may not be as well dressed we are possibly better looking and definitely better vaccinated… plus no thank you speeches!
As the community grows, so does the competition, and I hope all nominees are proud to be on this year’s shortlist. There really were a lot of great reports, first reports, guides, moments and explorations to choose from, and in several categories the voting was very close.
A big thanks to everyone who voted, to everyone who nominated reports in the first place, and to the team at Project Felis for helping organise and shortlist everything. And of course a big thank you to all the finalists for their contributions to the mammalwatching world in 2025.
Here are the winners. Congratulations to you all. Your now have red carpet entry into mammalwatching Valhalla.
Best Report
WINNER: Rob Jansen & Romy Jansen-Houtzager – Malaysia & Singapore
Another useful report with maps, drawings and a lot of information. Great photos as well
RUNNER UP: Venkat Sankar – USA
California Big Year: Trying to see as many species in California as possible in one Year with a very extensive report
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/california-mammal-big-year-site-id-guides/
Other Nominations (random order)
Mike Richardson – Kenya
Detailed report with great formatting (easy to read), many species and beautiful pictures
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/mammal-watching-in-central-kenya/
Demian Hiß, Valentin Moser, Michel Kilcher and Milan Pestalozzi – Northwest Africa
Long and detailed report covering many species for the region plus helpful maps
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/northwest-africa-2025/
Daan Druiker – Philippines
Another of Daan’s meticulous reports that also touched on sites not visited and species not seen. Nice pictures, ID-pointers and maps
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/palawan-and-calamianes-mammals-and-birds/
Most Inspiring Conservation Project / Person / Place
WINNER: Sabah Bat & Mammal Workshops – Borneo
Many projects, including bat catching with researchers and taking mammalwatchers as funders/guests
RUNNER UP: Dr Ating Solihin / Dr Ating Foundation – Sulawesi
Inspiring project trying to conserve Babirusa, a type of native pig
Other Nominations (random order)
Brazil Emas Pantanal – Brazil
Donation to environmental education
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/brazil-emas-np-and-south-pantanal-july-2024/
Football Shirts for Dibatag United – Ethiopia
Donation of T-shirts for the local football team
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/introducing-gerdame-united-save-the-dibatag/
KAFS – Kianjavato Ahmanson Field Station – Madagascar
Lots of great work including tree planting that protects species like Sucker-footed Bats and Aye-ayes
Best First Report
WINNER: Zac Babbit – South Africa
An impressive first report from a professional guide from South Africa, with an exceptional species count
JOINT RUNNER UP: Claudia W – Georgia & Armenia
Interesting report with maps, great pictures and useful details from the visited sites
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/georgia-and-armenia-august-2025/
JOINT RUNNER UP: Flemming Versloot – India
Long report with nice pictures and useful details for each site
Other Nominations (random order)
Jake Barker – UK
Aussie on tour in the UK, well written, with bat sonograms and coordinates
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/united-kingdom-2025/
Asanoth – Thailand
Nice report with many useful details and links to sightings on iNat
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/thailand-december-25th-to-january-8th/
Outstanding Guide Europe / North America / Australia
WINNER: Juan Cruzado Cortes – Mexico
A dedicated biologist who knows Mexico very well and has led groundbreaking trips finding mammals never photographed before
https://www.mammalwatching.com/trip-provider/juan-cruzado-mexico/
RUNNER UP: Janos Olah – Sakertours
A birder who has seen the light. Janos has developed some fabulous mammalwatching trips and opened up Romanian mammals to the world
https://www.mammalwatching.com/trip-provider/sakertours/
Other Nominations (random order)
Frédéric Chiche – France/Spain
Frédéric is a small carnivore specialist, with exceptional knowledge in this area that helps clients observe and photograph shy species rarely seen well otherwise
Jonathan Rodriguez Ramiro – Spain
Jonathan is an amazing guide who knows where and when to find the animals, not only in his home region near Riano, but in all of Spain. On top of that he’s a great guy with a fantastic sense of humour, extremely fun and knowledgeable. His motto: “hotels are only for sleeping, time should be spent in the field”.
Outstanding guide Africa / Asia / Latin America
WINNER: Jirayu Ekkul – Thailand
Jirayu has done a lot to open up Thailand, finding reliable sites for some great mammals including the hitherto impossible Banded Linsang.
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/thailands-deep-south-banded-linsang-and-more-2025/
RUNNER UP: Marcelo Gavensky – Argentina
Marcelo is opening up Argentina to mammalwatching: hard working, enthusiastic and dedicated to the cause, plus an exceptionally nice human.
Other Nominations (random order)
Aovick Dasgupta – India (Kaziranga)
Aovick is a dedicated, funny and knowledgeable guide who goes beyond the expected, standing out from other guides in the area.
Robert Nkantor – Ghana
Robert has played an important role in opening Ghana up to mammalwatchers and is known as a pangolin whisperer; he’s developed a method of finding both species of tree pangolins.
Alex Guevara – Panama
Alex is an outstanding guide and super knowledgeable about mammals, birds and herps, and he will work very hard to make sure that you see your targets.
Best and Worst Mammalwatching Moment
WINNER: Ian Thompson – Kenya
Getting attacked by army ants in a bat cave filled with guano (but no bats)
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/kenya-october-2025/
RUNNER UP: Jon Hall – Romania
Staring into empty holes for hours in the cold waiting for mole rats
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/zen-and-the-art-of-mole-rats-romania-april-2025/
Other Nominations (random order)
Petter Bohmans – Europe
Mammal streak: Try to find a new mammal per week
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/mammal-streak-a-challenging-way-of-mammalwatching/
Demian Hiß, Valentin Moser, Milan Pestalozzi – Morocco
Searching empty wells (for seasonal water storage) for surviving gerbils, amidst dead cats and hedgehogs
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/northwest-africa-2025/
The Travelling Zoologists (Karina and Andrey) – Paraguay
A convincing April Fools’ Day post from Paraguay
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/trip-teport-armadillos-of-the-reserva-la-enganosa/
Best Exploration
WINNER: Charles Foley, Jon Hall, Alex Meyer and Ian Thompson – Djibouti
Underexplored for sure
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/djibouti-december-2024/
RUNNER UP: Jirayu Ekkul – Thailand
Banded Linsang site
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/thailands-deep-south-banded-linsang-and-more-2025/
Other Nominations (random order)
Sebastian Kennerknecht – Tonga – Swimming with Humpback Whales
Cheryl Antonucci – Peru and others
Primate explorations all over the world
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/peru-2025-trip-report/
Jan Ebr – French Guiana
First report from the country
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/french-guiana-2024-2025/
Services to Mammalwatching
WINNER: Carlos Bocos
Services to mammalwatching in Asia and Spain, with pioneering trips to destinations in recent years including West Papua, Papua New Guinea and Sulawesi
RUNNER UP: Daan Drukker
Services to squirrels and beyond, for example his guide to West African squirrels
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/squirrel-field-guide-western-africa/
Other Nominations (random order)
A Photo-Identification Guide to Duikers and Other African Forest Antelopes
It’s great to have specialists making knowledge accessible by providing resources for hard-to-identify groups
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/a-photo-identification-guide-to-duikers-and-other-african-forest-antelopes/
Venkat Sankar
For his rodent and bat identification prowess and all his help to this community.
Nils Bouillard for Bat ID guide of Oman and continued help with bat identification
Nils has consistently helped out the community with help, for example the Bat ID guide of Oman
Best Photography in a Report
JOINT WINNER: Daniel Benák, Jonathan Ben Simon, Alex Meyer and more – Azores
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/amazing-azores-alex-meyer-july-2025/
JOINT WINNER: Sebastian Kennerknecht – Estonia, Chile, Mongolia
Many great reports. For example:
Other Nominations (random order)
Ralf Bürglin – Morocco
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/meeting-mammals-in-morocco/
Lewis Burnett – Dryandra (Western Australia)
https://www.mammalwatching.com/community-post/dryandra-woodlands-np-guide-numbats-quolls-and-more/
Coke Smith – Australia and China
Many reports including Sichuan and a series of reports from Australia including
Once again, thanks to everyone who took part, and congratulations to all winners, runners-up and nominees.
The awards will return next year, so keep a note of anything you read in 2026 that might be worthy of a nomination… Feel free to send an e-mail to info AT projectfelis.org with a nomination anytime.
Jon & Team Felis
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