Your day is about to get a lot better! After so much anticipation, the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards entry finalists have finally been revealed, and they are great. They’re hilarious. Witty. Dynamic. And they’re inspiring us to pick up the camera, too.
Today, we’re featuring the finalist photos in all their glory, so scroll down to add a bit of humor and sunshine to your life. If anyone you know needs their spirits picked up, be sure to send them this way.
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#1 Alison Tuck, "Now Which Direction Is My Nest?"
A windy day on Bempton Cliffs during the nesting season.
Image credits: © Alison Tuck / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#2 Mark Meth-Cohn, "High Five"
This photograph was taken during a trip to Rwanda earlier this year, where we spent four unforgettable days trekking through the misty Virunga Mountains in search of the gorilla families that call them home. On this particular day, we came across a large family group gathered in a forest clearing, the adults were calmly foraging while the youngsters were enthusiastically playing. One young male was especially keen to show off his acrobatic flair; pirouetting, tumbling, and high kicking. Watching his performance was pure joy, and I’m thrilled to have captured his playful spirit in this image.
Image credits: © Mark Meth-Cohn / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#3 Valtteri Mulkahainen, "Smile, You're Being Photographed"
When I was photographing bears, this one year old bear cub saw it and started smiling at me. Apparently he had already had to pose in front of photographers.
Image credits: © Valtteri Mulkahainen / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
This year, the shortlist of incredible finalists in the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards consists of 40 standalone images, 3 portfolio entries, as well as 10 videos.
The competition has seen massive popularity. This year, in 2025, it received just under 10,000 entries from a whopping 108 countries!
The contestants are competing to win a one-week safari with Alex Walker's Serian in the Masai Mara.
Other prizes include a Z6III Nikon Camera, a Z50II Nikon Camera, and the brand new Nikon ZR, plus all the kit, courtesy of the competition’s headline partner, Nikon.
On top of that, the finalists have the chance to win photography rucksacks from ThinkTANK.
#4 Erkko Badermann, "Landing Gears Down"
This photograph came about as a hard-won victory of patience. I have been photographing Red-throated Loons for several years. I lie on the edge of a bond under a camouflage net and photograph their spring courtship displays from my hide. The ground is wet and cold. That morning, an unseasonable early-spring snowfall caught me by surprise, making photography almost impossible. Lying there on the cold shore of the bond, I found myself thinking there was no sense in being there. I was already about to leave. However, I decided to stay, and the snowfall faded into quiet, beautiful drifting flakes, and a thin mist rose from the surface of the lake.
Another Red-throated Loon on the lake had turned white from the snowfall. From its behaviour I noticed that its mate was arriving at the lake, and I managed to get it in my camera’s focus against the grey sky. I lost it for a moment, but caught it again just before it landed on the water. The Red-throated Loon is quite a “poor” flier, and its landing is usually very wobbly: it seeks balance with its legs stretched backwards and then belly-lands to glide. I like to say they use the water as their runway. This time the bird came straight towards me and was so steady you might imagine it had taken flying lessons.
The photograph has travelled with me in my exhibitions, and it always elicits a chuckle from viewers. There is something funny about it. I thought it would be perfect for this competition to bring joy to its viewers.
Image credits: © Erkko Badermann / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#5 David Rice, "Omg He's At It Again!"
Crazy morning antics of the Red-Crowned Cranes.
Image credits: © David Rice / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#6 Stefan Cruysberghs, "Squirrel Airborne: Surrender Mode"
A few years ago, a simple wooden hide was available for rent in a forest near my home, known for its lively red squirrel population. I had visited the spot several times before, and eventually began experimenting with capturing squirrels mid-jump. This resulted in countless blurry shots, but also a few fun and quirky moments—including the one I submitted. Sadly, the forest has since been cut down due to an infestation of bark beetles, but I still cherish the images I captured of these agile and comical little acrobats. I thought this flying squirrel looks like it’s throwing in the towel mid-air—arms wide, total surrender!
Image credits: © Stefan Cruysberghs / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
The Awards were originally co-founded a decade ago, in 2015, by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam. Their goal was to create a competition that fused exceptional wildlife photography with the positive power of humor. And it’s all for the sake of promoting the conservation of wildlife and habitats that Planet Earth relies on.
The competition supports a sustainable conservation organization every year. In 2025, they are once again working with the UK charity Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), which supports conservation pioneers working in their home countries across the Global South. This year, the competition is donating 10% of its profits to WFN.
“Over the past thirty years, it has channelled £24 million to 220 conservationist leaders in 80 countries, and we are really pleased to be able to shine a spotlight on the amazing work they do and hope you will join us in supporting them.”
#7 Christy Grinton, "Bad Hair Day!"
For my image "Bad Hair Day" I was in a local park in downtown Victoria when I saw a grey blur run by. When I looked closer I saw a mother grey squirrel was relocating her babies to a new nest. The grass was dewy that morning so she was getting a wet tail as she ran through the grass. As she entered her new nest her tail was sticking out so when she turned around to leave, for a short second her head was covered by her wet tail. When I saw her it made me smile thinking I know that moment where you have just washed your hair and the doorbell goes! I also loved the textures and colours of the bark of the arbutus tree surrounding her and her "bad hair."
Image credits: © Christy Grinton / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#8 Warren Price, "Headlock"
These guillemots were nesting on a small rocky cliff ledge where space was at a premium. The nests all crammed in close together which isn’t a good recipe for being good neighbours, as guillemots are fiercely territorial. Aggression and battles are frequent over nesting space and I captured this image of this bemused looking bridled guillemot, its head firmly clamped in his/her neighbours beak. I liked the way the guillemot was looking directly into my lens, its white eye-liner eyes highlighting its predicament! Sometimes you just want to bite your neighbours head off..literally!
Image credits: © Warren Price / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#9 Bingqian Gao, "What Do You Mean I Need To See A Dentist?"
I spotted this porcupinefish in the shallow waters of the Sea of Cortez. Among the group, she stood out immediately - her mouth stayed open, giving her a comic look of perpetual shock. On closer inspection, I realised she couldn’t close it at all; a thick layer of algae had even begun to grow inside. Holding my breath, I sank to the sandy bottom to capture her head-on, joking to her (or to myself), “Dude, you’re due a dentist visit!”, making myself laugh out loud underwater.
And now, as this photo becomes a Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards finalist, I hope it brings a laugh to others too. But beneath the humour lies a quiet truth: marine life is fragile, especially as oceans acidify and ecosystems shift. Without comprehensive healthcare like ours, even small ailments can become fatal.
Through empathy and mindful choices, I hope we can create a world where wildlife can thrive as we do.
Image credits: © Bingqian Gao / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
To be very clear, all the images featured here are real. As the organizers of the Awards stress, “the images are all authentic, and absolutely no AI or digital manipulation is permitted to create the photographs.”
The winners of the competition will be announced on December 9 at the Awards Night in London. After that, between December 10 and 14, a free exhibition showcasing all the finalists will be held at the Gallery@Oxo.
In the meantime, over the next few weeks, a panel of expert judges will be picking their favorite entries.
The judges this year are:
- Nikon Creators Cameron Whitnall, Hannah Stitfall, and Roxy Furman
- TV presenter Kate Humble
- Actor and comedian Hugh Dennis
- World-renowned wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas
- Nikon Ambassador Daisy Gilardini
- Wildlife expert and co-founder of The Born Free Foundation, Will Travers OBE
- Conservationist Bella Lack
#10 Paula Rustemeier, "Hit The Dance Floor!"
This shot was taken quite at the beginning of my wildlife photography "journey". I always enjoyed nature, but usually only photographed my dog, until I observed foxes for an essay I wrote for biology lessons in school and decided I want to try to photograph and learn even more about foxes.
The photo was taken in a nature reserve. They don't get hunted there and therefore are seen during the day as well. Something I found true with all areas with low hunting pressure that I've been to so far.
I'm not the biggest fan of camouflaging. While I do use it occasionally, the best way I have found to photograph them, especially young ones, is just being present. If you put in the time, I found that the foxes usually get either curious or see you as something natural, not dangerous. Either way, they come close eventually. I had several foxes nipping at my shoes already like this, as well as foxes catching mice just a couple meters away from me!
This was my tactic with these foxes too. Like this, I could follow and document them for several months while they grew up. Their den lied in a sandy valley. Sometimes I found one or two sleeping in that area during the day, but when dawn set, they met up at this spot, got really active and often played a lot together, just like in the image.
The time with them taught me a lot about their social behavior. I saw them fight, hunt, sleep, groom - and of course play, which is always my favorite to watch! You really have to giggle a lot watching foxes play with their quirky personalities.
Since then, I had been photographing and following fox cubs every spring/summer and had much more amazing encounters with foxes and also other wildlife. :)
Image credits: © Paula Rustemeier / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#11 Grayson Bell, "Baptism Of The Unwilling Convert"
One morning I was hanging out with my camera along the edge of a pond near our home. I noticed 2 frogs fighting and took a bunch of shots of them. This photo captures two male Green frogs, which are native to Maine. They usually have greenish-brown on their backs, with dusky bars on their hind legs and a lighter underside. Males may have a yellow throat, while females' are white. They make a throaty sound like a ‘boink’.
In this photo, these two male frogs are jockeying for territory. They will engage in physical confrontations like wrestling to defend valuable habit that will attract females. I took several shots of them, but this one in particular amused me because it looked like one was trying to baptize the other against his will.
Image credits: © Grayson Bell / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#12 John Speirs, "It Is Tough Being A Duck"
This picture was taken on a very dull day, when the duck was just sitting on the surface of the sea loch a shaft of light broke through the clouds and light him up and he seemed to go into holiday mood.
Image credits: © John Speirs / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
“The Nikon Comedy Wildlife finalists are in, and we’re excited to share with you the brilliant images showcasing unique talent of photographers from every corner of the globe. These images combine wit and wonder to celebrate nature’s character, while emphasising the urgency of conservation. At Nikon, we’re proud to support a competition that sparks joy while reminding us why our wild world is worth protecting,” said Stefan Maier, Nikon Europe Senior General Manager Marketing.
Meanwhile, Tom Sullam, co-founder of the competition, had this to say: “We had an awesome year last year and are absolutely delighted to be able to partner with the Nikon team again for 2025. Their ongoing support has supercharged the competition, reaching more people in more countries than ever before, helping us raise awareness of animal and habitat conservation and crucially, highlight the fundamental importance of having wildlife on our planet and in our lives,” he said.
“These inspiring and funny photos and videos do just that. It’s a privilege to be part of this exciting journey, making us all laugh and we can’t wait to announce the winners in December.”
#13 Andrey Giljov, "Welcome To Zen Lemur Yoga Course!"
Instructor Lemur demonstrates perfect enthusiasm, reaching high to embrace the universe. Student Lemur contemplates whether enlightenment is worth this much effort before breakfast. Flexibility? Optional. Dramatic flair? Mandatory.
Image credits: © Andrey Giljov / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#14 Henry Szwinto, "Peek A Boo"
A Sri Lankan Elephant playing peek a boo with his ears.
Image credits: © Henry Szwinto / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#15 Massimo Felici, " Darling, Please Stop!"
During a photo safari in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, we were following this pair of lions in love. Unfortunately, they were disturbed by a violent thunderstorm, which dampened their enthusiasm! It created a cute scene with both of them shaking off the rain, but the male always prevailed due to his impressive mane!
Image credits: © Massimo Felici / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
This year’s competition categories include the following:
- Alex Walker’s Serian Mammals Category
- Spectrum Photo Birds Category
- ThinkTANK Reptiles and Amphibians Category
- Fish and Other Aquatic Species
- Insects Category
- Nikon Young Photographer (up to 25yrs)
- Nikon Junior Category (up to 16 yrs)
- Amazing Internet Portfolio Category
- Nikon Video Category
Meanwhile, the People’s Choice Award, where the public can vote for their favorite entry, will be open from December 10 until March 1, 2026. The winner will be announced on March 12, 2026.
#16 Michael Stavrakakis, "Paint Me Like One Of Your Forest Girls"
This image was captured in the Tanjung Puting National Park in southern Borneo and features Sandra, the oldest known orangutan living in the area. A once-rehabilitated orangutan who had previously lived in captivity, Sandra since been successfully released back into the wild. Known for her quirky and unique character, she quickly grew comfortable with our presence and before long had truly “found her stage.”
Image credits: © Michael Stavrakakis / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#17 Diana Rebman, "Relaxing In The Trees!"
This Yellow-cheeked Gibbon was just hanging out in the trees. Looks like he's waiting for a beer to be served
Image credits: © Diana Rebman / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#18 Andrew Mortimer, "The Shoulders Of Giants"
If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giant [frog] s. In a bore casing on a minesite tenement around 2 hours drive from Leonora, there lives a colony of frogs. Slightly too short to see over the PVC casing, they make do wherever they can.
Image credits: © Andrew Mortimer / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
We can’t wait to hear what you think, Pandas! Which of these finalist entries did you enjoy the most? Which photos made you giggle the hardest? From an artistic standpoint, which images do you think deserve the top spot? Are you going to the Gallery@Oxo to see the finalists’ exhibition in person?
Will you be entering the competition next year? Grab a cup of coffee, upvote your favorite pics, and scroll down to the bottom of the post to share your thoughts in the comments.
#19 David Fettes, "Great Hair Day"
The subject of the photograph is an Amazonian Umbrellabird - Cephalopterus ornatus. I photographed it in a forest in the Pantanal in Brazil. It seemed to be unwell and unable to fly so contact was made with a vet in a town some distance from where I was and they came out and took it away for treatment - I hope it had a good outcome. In flight and when foraging the crest of feathers on the head that obscure the face when pushed forward are pushed back into a spike - when forward it can only make one laugh - looks ridiculous.
Image credits: © David Fettes/ Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#20 Geoff Martin, "Hornbill In A Hurry"
I was in a hide in Zimanga, South Africa photographing white backed vultures or rather hoping to, when this southern yellow billed hornbill appeared and proceeded to position itself immediately in front of the hide obscuring any clear shots of the vultures. After several frustrating minutes a harris hawk came in rather quickly from the right coinciding with the hornbills departure. However, the hornbills expression appears to be one of sheer panic suggesting the hawk is eyeing the hornbill up for breakfast. Having both birds in the photo helps sell the story and increase the sense of urgency of the hornbill. Don’t worry, the hornbill departed unscathed!
Image credits: © Geoff Martin / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#21 Jessica Emmett, "Battle Hug"
I have limited mobility and often use a mobility scooter to do wildlife photography, so I often stick to my local park, Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park in Singapore. While out on a typical overcast morning at the park, my attention snapped towards two monitors locked in battle in the distance. They were very close to the main path, yet they seemed completely unphased by the people walking, jogging, cycling by or taking phone videos. In person, the fight felt like an intense battle of strength even though the movements were quite slow. Not unlike an evenly matched arm wrestle. My photos didn’t reflect this epic battle of wills at all! Instead, the photos looked like sweet affectionate snuggles so I just went with it!
I don't often I see monitor lizards fighting as they are mostly solitary. However, it wasn’t surprising to see monitor lizards fighting in this area as it’s right under trees where herons are known to nest. That means eggs and food often fall to the ground not to mentioned it's also right next to the river. So, this is prime monitor lizard territory worth fighting for. Just after this photo, a third larger monitor came up, whips them both with its powerful tail, entered the battle and ultimately wins the day fighting off both the other monitors. I watched this battle sequence unfold over 10mins. It was quite a fight to witness from an urban park path
Image credits: © Jessica Emmett / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#22 Miles Astray, "Flamingone"
We’ve all seen a flamingo, but have you ever seen a flamingone? Only an AI could make that up. Or did I just make that up? With AI-generated content remodelling the digital landscape rapidly while sparking an ever-fiercer debate about its implications for the future of content, its creators, and its consumers, I entered F L A M I N G O N E into the AI category of the 1839 Awards. That oddball took home two awards, which were revoked when I revealed that the emphasis of this surreal creature is on real, as in real animal, real photograph.
The idea was to prove that Mother Nature and her human interpreters can still beat the machine, and that creativity and emotion are more than just a string of digits. The picture shows a flamingo whose head is apparently missing, but I promise it’s there somewhere. In fact, the bird is just going about its morning routine at a Caribbean beach, head tucked beneath the torso to give the plumage a good cleaning. What seems like a headless flamingo, is really just this awkward yet iconic hero-creature scratching its belly, head tucked beneath the torso—a candid, lucky shot.
Image credits: © Miles Astray / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#23 Bret Saalwaechter, "I Just Can't Wait To Be King"
I’ve always been fascinated by the complex social lives of lions, and there’s no better place to observe them than Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. I captured this image in September 2024, during the dry season, when dwindling food and water can heighten family tensions. One morning near the Semetu Kopjes, we found a pride locked in a lively standoff - hungry cubs clamoring for milk, mothers giving in briefly before retreating in exhaustion.
Life in the dry season is no picnic—lions are anxiously waiting for the Great Migration and the feast it promises—but it makes for some incredible wildlife behavior and these cubs were the stars of the show. For over an hour, they followed their mother around a famous Serengeti kopje—those iconic rocky outcrops that dot the landscape—alternating between trying to suckle and play. Each time the mother, already in a foul mood from the sweltering heat, would give a quick roar of disapproval and escape the circus.
But the cubs, like any persistent little ones, would chase her down, nipping at her and yelping for more attention. This back-and-forth drama played out again and again Roaring in protest, the lionesses leapt onto the kopje for a moment’s peace, only to be followed by their relentless offspring. As the chaos peaked, the entire pride erupted in a chorus of roars and wails, giving me the perfect instant to press the shutter.
Image credits: © Bret Saalwaechter / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#24 Liliana Luca, "Fonzies Advertising"
This moment happened after the tourists had left Nosy Komba (Madagascar). I stopped, letting the silence fall around me, and turned my attention to a group of crowned sifakas (Propithecus deckenii). It was then that he appeared, staring at me with wide, curious eyes, as if questioning my presence... or perhaps my clothing choices.
Then, with the grace of a stage actor and the timing of a comedian, he raised his hand, licked it thoughtfully, and then paused mid-gesture, as if he knew exactly what he was doing.
The photo immediately reminded me of that old snack commercial: "If you don't lick your fingers... you're only half enjoying it!"
Ultimately, this is why I love nature photography so much: sometimes nature's sense of humor is better than our own; you just have to be ready to catch it..
Image credits: © Liliana Luca / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#25 Magnus Berggren, "Masquerading As An Arrow"
The story about the image is that I was out looking for eagles this little arrow come blasting through the sky; it was a black woodpecker. As it tucked its wings under its body, creating the perfect illusion of sheer speed, I was lucky to get it in frame and also get a sharp image, because i was using a slower shutterspeed at the moment.
Image credits: © Magnus Berggren / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#26 Michael Lane, "Steller Eagles Practice Kung Fu Tango"
Steller Eagles are the heaviest eagles in the world, weighing up to 9kgs and with wingspans up to 2.5 metres. They can be found in northern Russia, northern Japan and Korea and it is estimated there are only about 4500 adults currently left. During winter an excellent place to photograph these giants of the air is on Hokkaido, northern Japan. Here temperatures are regularly -18deg C. In February and March each year a large ice-flow occurs off the coast near the town of Rausu and it was on a boat trip to the ice-flow, which began before sunrise, the image was taken.
The Steller eagles are seen in large numbers on the ice-flow and compete for fish with the smaller white-tailed eagles. The challenge is to pick out individual action from a busy scene. As the sun rose and gave spectacular golden light to the birds and reflected off the ice, I saw this pair squabbling over a fish. Not only did one eagle appear to kick the other eagle whilst having its foot on a fish, they both elevated one wing in unison as if in a synchronised dance. The image was captured using a Nikon Z9 mirrorless digital camera with zoom lens.
Image credits: © Michael Lane / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#27 Lars Beygang, "Outdoor Smoking Zone"
During the spring months, I was commissioned to photograph the urban wildlife of a city near my hometown in Bavaria. After several early mornings by the pond, I decided to return once more to the same spot. It was a very cold morning, with temperatures low enough to make the breath visible. As the first rays of sunlight broke through from behind, I noticed a mallard perched on a fence, calling out into the air. I quickly pressed the shutter, hoping to capture the visible breath streaming from its beak. The scene made me smile - it looked as if the duck had just stepped outside for a quick smoke in the cold morning light.
Image credits: © Lars Beygang / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#28 Meline Ellwanger, "The Choir"
A hilariously lucky moment I caught of these these three lions yawning at the same time.
Image credits: © The Choir / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#29 Annette Kirby, "Go Away"
In February 2025 I flew from my home in South Australia where the summer temperatures ranged from mid 20’s to mid-40 degrees Celsius to the island of Hokkadia in Japan, where temperatures were minus degrees, the coldest day being minus 18 Celsius.
I experienced a winter wonderland so vastly different from my arid hot home environment. A highlight was visiting Rausa on the Shirenhoka Peninsula and Nemuro Straits, where the Steller’s Sea Eagle gather in the winter to fish from drift ice. With fewer than 5000 left in the world they are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species.
The female can weigh up to 9.5kg, making it the heaviest eagle in the world. Their wingspan, up to 2.5 metres is of the largest of any living eagle. In Japan they are protected and classified as a national treasure. They indeed are a national treasure and so entertaining to watch and photograph as they fight to protect their catch. A favourite place for them to perch is on the sea wall protecting the fishing fleet at Rausa. They wait watching the boats come into the harbour hoping for a free feed of fish.
I captured this photo of the Steller’s Sea Eagle as it sat in a deep hole in the snow. It had a fish and had flown on the sea wall and found a hole in the deep fresh snow. Other birds were flying above and as they came closer, I captured the look it gave them. There was no way it was parting with its catch. As it had made its intentions clear to other competitors, it stayed alert but managed to enjoy its catch.
Image credits: © Annette Kirby / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#30 Antoine Rezer, "Territorial Defence Operation"
After five weeks in north-eastern Greenland on a scientific mission, I am slowly getting back in touch with human civilisation by spending a week in Iceland. Driving along the edge of a fjord in north-western Iceland, I spot some gyrfalcons. I stop and watch them for a long time – there's a whole family!
My eye is drawn to a larger bird of prey, a white-tailed eagle. Amazing! It lands after making it clear to the falcons that he's the boss. I feast my eyes on the scene, as it's not every day that I get to witness something like this! When a seagull arrives, I imagine that the eagle will keep it at bay. I'm wrong! The gull's low-level flights follow one after another but are not enough. So the gull changes strategy and drops its bomb on the eagle! The eagle finally flies away, leaving the site to the gull. Motivation can be stronger than size!
Image credits: © Antoine Rezer / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#31 Jenny Stock, "Smiler"
Whilst on a scuba dive in the Philippines, this little fish kept popping its head out of its home, a hole in the patterned coral. I took a few photos and I loved its cheeky face smiling back at me. What an expressive looking face! This cheerful looking species, the bluestriped fangblenny is around eight centimeters and actually has a rare defence mechanism, where it can bite an attacking predator and inject venom when it is threatened.
The venom causes dizziness and disorientation, weakening the predator's ability to pursue and eat the fangblenny. I took the image at 10 meters deep, in the Philippines. I used an underwater housing around my mirrorless camera, and two underwater flash guns to illuminate the subject.
Image credits: © Jenny Stock / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#32 Kalin Botev, " Monkey Circus"
My wife, Nellie and I were on our honeymoon in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, known for its vast landscapes and its huge elephant herds. We were there right in the beginning of the rainy season and witnessed how nature wakes up after the first rains in many months. Although animals had dispersed and were harder to see, we could feel the excitement brought by the rains everywhere. One evening on our way to the camp we bumped into a troop of baboons playing in a huge tree. One of the baboons was sitting on a big brunch and the others were running up and down the tree in circles. Every time they passed by the sitting baboon it was trying to catch them in a funny way. This play continued for more than 15 minutes and the baboons seemed to really enjoy it.
Image credits: © Kalin Botev / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#33 Mark Meth-Cohn, " Aaaaaww Mum!"
This photograph was taken during a trip to Rwanda earlier this year, where we spent four unforgettable days trekking through the misty Virunga Mountains in search of the gorilla families that call them home. It was pouring with rain that day, by the time we reached the group we were completely soaked, as were they. Despite the weather, this mother proudly cradled her baby for us to see, a tender moment of affection that was both heartwarming and humorous, especially since the infant looked far less enthusiastic about all the affection it was getting.
Image credits: © Mark Meth-Cohn / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#34 Ralph Robinson, "Pied Piper Of Penguins"
Our last day of shooting in the Falkland Islands, after a week of island hopping, was at Volunteer Point, a headland on the east coast of East Falkland, northeast of Stanley. It received its name in 1815, when the sealing ship Volunteer left a boat's crew there to collect seal skins while it went in search of opportunities elsewhere. Volunteer Point is notable for having about 2000 pairs of king penguins breed here, at the most northerly part of their range. King penguins were once nearly extinct in the Falklands, and Volunteer Point contains most of the Falkland population.I spent most of the day lying on my belly, often in the sand, watching the Kings. What a show! Not far away, a shepherd tended his flock of sheep, and it appeared for a moment that these king penguins were leading the way. Long Live the Kings!
Image credits: © Ralph Robinson / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#35 Laurent Nilles, "Oh My!"
A young baboon looking up as an elephant approaches, unsure whether to stand his ground or to run away. He decided to flee shortly after the picture was taken.
Image credits: © Laurent Nilles / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#36 Peter Reinold, "Stretch Your Leg"
Originally, I was just planning on taking a road trip through the Everglades on my day off to revisit known locations to combine them with my new passion for wildlife photography. When I got to this spot, I was planning to shoot Gators as they used to hang out in the area and were easy to spot from the boardwalk. The gators took it rather easy that day and were mostly just sitting motionless in the pond. I kept my eyes open to see other animals in the area like birds and mammals.
That's when I saw this guy on the boardwalk. People didn't even notice the animal right there. I aimed my camera at it. I kept a good distance to not scare it away as I took a bunch of photos. It knew that it was in the spotlight and started its moves as I had my camera aimed at it. The little guy wasn't shy at all.
On the other hand this also gave me a chance to try out the capabilities of my camera as I just switched to mirrorless and upgraded my camera equipment for the first time in 17 years. Of course I was astounded by what technology made possible since I bought my old camera.
Image credits: © Peter Reinold / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#37 Beate Ammer, "The Frog Prince Of The Grape Vine"
Meet the Frog Prince of my little garden — he's been lazing around guarding my grape vine, waiting for a kiss, but I think he's just here for the grapes. This charming amphibian seems to have mistaken the vine for his royal court, lounging among the plump fruit as if he's the monarch of the orchard.
Image credits: © Beate Ammer / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#38 Chris Stanley, "All Smiles"
Flame Skimmer Dragonfly lands on the stalk of an Aloe Vera plant and flashes a quick smile for the camera. I can only say that I didn't have to travel far to capture this image since it was taken in my own backyard! It wasn't until I saw this image on a larger screen that I noticed the happy expression on his face.
Image credits: © Chris Stanley / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#39 Yann Chauvette, "The Wig"
The Greater One-Horned Rhino feasting on aquatic fine food, diving underwater and coming back up with a new wig made out of his delicious meal.
Image credits: © Yann Chauvette / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
#40 Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod, "Bad Mouthing"
These are two of three leopard siblings. Two female and one male. Here in the selected image the larger one is the male cub and the other is one of the female cubs. A few minutes before I took this image, these three were playing with each other on that boulder.
Later one female saw something moving in the bushes and ventured to investigate it. These two also wanted to follow them, but this playful interaction happened before them following the other sibling. These three cubs have been seen around this area over the past few days, and we travelled about 200km from Colombo so that we could try to photograph them.
So on that day our driver suggested we take the "Katagamuwa" entrance (as opposed to the main Yala entrance) so that we can reach this particular boulder and area where these three cubs hang around, faster than entering from the main entrance. That decision played out well. There was only one more jeep in the vicinity so we had enough time with these three leopards. That was a memorable day.
Image credits: © Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod / Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
