Nate
The 2024 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are back, showcasing the funniest and most perfectly timed animal photos of the year.
This annual competition celebrates hilarious moments in the animal kingdom, all while promoting wildlife conservation. From lions nagging their partners to birds having a rough day, these funny wildlife photos are proof that animals know how to bring the laughs.
Here are the funniest animal photos from this year’s finalists, guaranteed to make you smile—and maybe even think a little more about the importance of protecting these creatures
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1. Scott Frier, “Nagging Is A Universal Concept”
“I liked this image as It reminds me of the old TV commercial for Maxell audio cassette tapes called: ‘Blown Away Guy.’ On safari in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, we hung around a Kopji of rocks because there were lion cubs being nursed when this action happened. I was just lucky enough to catch it. I have this image printed and hung on a wall of my home, everybody who sees it laughs at it. One of those people mentioned that I should enter it in this contest so here it is.”
2. Philippe Ricordel, “Easy Fellas – Hajime!”
“Hajime! This is the term used by the referee in Judo to invite opponents to start fighting. Here, the standing bear seems to be saying this to the other two, adopting the gesture that referees use when they say this word.”
3. Przemyslaw Jakubczyk, “Unexpected Role Swap”
“Every annoyed and overtired fish needs to de-stress by hunting for a bald eagle.”
4. Tapani Linnanmäki, “Shake Ruffle Rattle And Roll”
“In the picture, a white-tailed eagle is ruffling its feathers. The picture was taken with the Nikon Z9’s auto-capture feature. The camera is placed on top of the sea ice on top of a bag of nuts at the level of the ice. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this picture. There were more than ten funny poses and expressions in the photo series.”
5. Christine Haines, “Saying My Prayers”
“I visited Lake Clark National Park to photograph bears. While there, I had an opportunity to travel to Duck Island where I saw an otter floating next to the boat. Otters hold their food with their paws making it appear like they are praying.”
6. Gabriel Rojo, “Smiley Elephant Seal”
“These multi-ton giants fight to keep their harem of females. In the instant of the photo, the animal seems to be smiling… but the reality of the situation is that its expression of astonishment and smile is at the moment of fleeing quickly, because the dominant male was on his way to a bloody fight. It is better to preserve physical integrity… I’d better go…”
7. Milko Marchetti, “Stuck Squirrel”
“When the squirrel entered, he removed his feet from the trunk for a moment, and for that moment it seemed as if he was blocked at the entrance to the burrow.”
8. Andy Rouse, “Alright Mate, Back Off- This Is My Bird!”
“This image was taken in South Georgia, it really does show a male king penguin trying to make a move on a female who has already paired up with her male. The body position and wing posture make the message clear – ‘Back off!’
This image was highly commended in the 2006 BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year.”
9. Sanjay Patil, “The Rock Star”
“Fan-throated lizards are found only in the Indian subcontinent, where they have evolved under the influence of changing climates. These lizards are colorful and belong to the category of reptiles. Female Lizards do not display fans as they do not have. Male lizards inflate their attractive neck pouch to attract the female in the hot summer season. Here is the female lizard standing upright to escape the summer heat.”
10. Ingo Hamann, “Laughing Out Loud”
“This newborn seal seems to be laughing at a good joke.”
11. Sarosh Lodhi, “Wait…which Zebra Is In Front?!”
“Wait! Which Zebra is in front!!!
Description: An image that causes optical illusion making it difficult for the viewer to tell which zebra is in front. Shot in Kenya, I stayed focused on these two as they started coming towards each other. I was expecting them to interact, nozzle or maybe fight, but they coincidentally got aligned in a way to cause this beautiful optical illusion.”
12. Jan Piecha, “I’ll Tell You A Secret”
“A tiny raccoon is telling a secret to its mum while whispering in her ear.”
13. Leslie Mcleod, “Hide And Seek”
“We were on safari in Kenya and happened upon this beautiful female who was looking for a mate. A group of topi were also keeping a pretty close eye on her as she left messages for a potential partner on various trees. This shot makes me think that the cheetah is just about to shout out, ‘ready or not, here I come!'”
14. Artur Stankiewicz, “I’m Too Sexy For My Love”
“On one of the ‘lazy’ mornings, we decided to stop by the pool with hippos while in Mana Pools NP. My idea was to try and catch fighting hippos, yet, they all were quite peaceful. I positioned on the bank, safely from the potential charge, and waited. Some of them raised their heads in curiosity or when proximity to the other individuals was too close. Then I got this idea to catch the portrait with water plants decorating the head, It looked like the guy just got out of the hairdresser with a big smile on his face! :)”
15. Takashi Kubo, “Mafia Boss”
“It looked like he was sucking a cigar, and he looked like a mafia boss.”
16. Kingston Tam, “Awkward Smiley Frog”
“I asked this frog to smile for the camera but it seemed a little shy.”
17. Eberhard Ehmke, “Frog In A Balloon”
“During a photo shoot at the pond, I discovered this frog with its head in a bubble. This resembles a tree bell.”
18. Jörn Clausen, “Where Do You Think You Are Going?”
“This picture was taken in 2015 during my first visit to the Farne Islands (UK). The islands were full of puffins, kittywakes, shags, guillemots, and razorbills, and I never before and since then have taken so many photos in such a short time. I think I really “saw” this image only later that day when I checked my haul.”
19. Wim Bellemans, “Parrotfish Likes To Be Washed”
“I saw this parrotfish with 2 other fish cleaning him. The smile on his face shows that he really loves it. Picture shot while diving in Dahab, Egypt.”
20. Jose Miguel Gallego Molina, “Mantis Flamenca”
“On my way back from my photo walk in a swamp near my town (Pantano el Sitjar), I suddenly stopped my car on the road when I saw someone ordering me to stop. This was when I saw my friend the Flemish Mantis for the first time. You can imagine the faces of the other cars passing by, seeing a car with the indicators on and the door open, stopped on the roadside and a madman lying on the ground with his camera in his hand.”
21. Andy Rouse, “England Cricket’s Latest Secret Weapon!”
“I took this photo of a dancing sifaka in Madagascar; as it ran towards us, it created all sorts of funny shapes. But this one was the best, it looks to me like it is practicing its bowling action ready for an England call-up!”
22. Arvind Mohandas, “The Contemplative Chimpanzee”
“Shot in the jungles of Uganda, following a group of around 50 chimpanzees. This one was obviously contemplating an important issue, on a day of realization and reaffirmation of how close chimpanzees are to humans!”
23. Randy Herman, “You’re Not My Mother”
“This female Red-bellied Woodpecker had been investigating this Screech Owl nest for a couple of days; perhaps it was her nest last year? This little owlet was definitely startled, and didn’t seem to know what to make of this intruder. The woodpecker moved on, and the owlet fledged with its two siblings about an hour late.”
24. Christopher Arnold, “Monday Again”
“I photographed this nutria directly from the canoe. It was busy grooming itself.”
25. Inés Godínez, “I Am Coming”
“Razorbill was attempting a very wobbly landing!”
26. Mark Meth-Cohn, “The Speed Skater”
“Stellers Sea Eagle in the drifting sea ice off Rausu, Hokkaido, Japan.”
27. Kath Aggiss, “Song Of The Zeisel”
“Ground Squirrel (local name Zeisel) calling to family that he’s found food.”
28. Ralph Robinson, “Gang Of Four”
“On the penguin highway, these rockhoppers are moving into town, and this town ain’t big enough for all of them! I set up my camera a good distance from this ridge, where rockhopper penguins were returning from feeding in the southern Atlantic Ocean in the Falkland Islands. The long lens pulled them into the frame without disturbing their return to nests on the hill. I love photographing penguins after they’ve been in the water as they are cleaner! These birds look like they are ready to kick some penguin a*s!”
29. Fred Amico, “The Pavarotti Of Owls”
“This area has always been a nesting place for burrowing owls, so I visit frequently. When I saw this image on the computer it just looked like this little owl was singing his heart out.”
30. Sarthak Ranganadhan, “Smooching Owlets”
“Our parents always find a way to embarrass us, I guess that’s also true in the case of spotted owlets. It was truly a funny sight to see two owlets trying to get some privacy as their little offspring stood next to them with a grin shut eyes.”
31. Michela-Bordoli, “Gecko-Fashion-Model”
“As we walked on the sands of the Namib Desert, a gecko suddenly appeared, emerging out of nowhere with a smile on its face. It positioned itself perfectly, posing for a portrait worthy of a National Geography cover. It seemed to say: ‘Take my picture, I’m ready for my cover!'”
32. Zikri Teo, “Time To Cool Off”
“An Adelie penguin stands over its chick as it lays flat on the rock to cool off. Due to their high level of insulation, penguin chicks can sometimes overheat and lay on the rocks with their feet out to lower their body temperature. Shingle Cove, South Orkney Islands.”
33. Alexander Fine, “Holding On For A Ride”
“After a nap, the mother brown bear wanted to go for a walk, but the cubs wanted a ride.”
34. Charles Janson, “Otter Guru”
“In a kayak with my camera balanced precariously on the gunnel, I stayed very still while floating by this resting Sea Otter. It stayed relaxed (you can tell because it is still floating on its back) and kept on grooming its fur. With its peaceful face and upturned paws, it reminded me of a Guru meditating.”
35. Alexander Pansier, “Hello World”
“This image shows the happy life of a Red Ant, looking down on us. The photo was taken in a dark forest near the Netherlands last autumn. I like the tones of this autumn leaf. So warm. It was hard to take this image because of the fast-moving Ant, but with a little help of a flashlight, I was able to freeze the motion.”