Comedy Wildlife Contest Unveils Wonderful Photo Finalists To Make Everyone Smile

Comedy Wildlife Contest Unveils Wonderful Photo Finalists To Make Everyone Smile

The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards just released their annual finalists.

“We are absolutely delighted to reveal the hotly anticipated finalists of the 2025 competition. They are a cracking collection of jaw dropping and laugh out loud photos of some of the most incredible wildlife that we share this planet with,” said contest officials in a news release.

The call for photos was answered worldwide with photographers sending in a record number of brilliant and hilarious entries—just under 10,000 in total from 108 countries.

They are all competing to win the top prize of an incredible one-week safari with Alex Walker’s Serian in the Masai Mara—other prizes include Nikon cameras and photography rucksacks.

Among the contenders this year are animals caught in headlocks, doing high-fives and getting hugs. You’ll even see a dancing gorilla.

The Awards were co-founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam to create a competition that fused exceptional wildlife photography and the positive power of humor in a bid to help promote the conservation of wildlife and habitats that our precious planet relies on.

Below are GNN’s favorites, but for more chuckles see the full collection of finalists at www.comedywildlifephoto.com. The images are all authentic, and absolutely no AI or digital manipulation is permitted to create the photographs.

“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. 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.”

“This was taken in Japan. I was visiting Rausa on the Shirenhoka Peninsula and Nemuro Straits, where I was observing a White-Tailed Sea Eagle putting their fish in a hole and protecting it. This one had a fish and saw another Eagle coming in to try and steal it.”

‘Peek-a-boo’ features a Sri Lankan Elephant playing peek-a-boo with his ears.

“It was then that the crowned sifaka lemur appeared, staring at me with wide, curious eyes, as if questioning my presence. 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.”

“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 neighbors, 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 neighbor’s beak.”

‘Battle Hug’ features two Asian water monitors locked in battle right by a main path in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park in Singapore. “A battle of strength and wills never looked so affectionate!”

‘Hornbill In A Hurry’ – A Hornbill in South Africa was spooked by an incoming tawny eagle
and decided a quick exit was probably wise. “Its ungainly departure was captured in a sequence of shots but this one for me perfectly captured the panic of the hornbill at that moment. The hornbill safely escaped although I doubt the tawny eagle was seriously interested in tackling that hornbill beak anyway.”

“This Yellow-cheeked Gibbon was just hanging out in the trees. It looks like he’s waiting for a beer to be served.”

MORE LAUGHS? CHECK OUT: Comedy Wildlife Winners for 2024 Are Positively Adorable

The team of expert judges will be busy over the next few weeks picking their favorites. The winners will be announced on December 9th at an Awards Night in London, which will be followed by an exhibition for one week from December 10 -14 showcasing all the 2025 Award Finalists at the Gallery@Oxo.

The free competition is open to photography novices, amateurs, and professionals—all ‘to celebrate the hilarity of our natural world and bring a smile to everyone’s face.

GOOSE UP YOUR FRIENDS By Sharing the Smiles on Social Media…