Hilarious images from this year's Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
Bill Gozansky/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Animal magic
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has revealed its finalists – and they include dancing penguins, monkey tour guides and an exquisitely bizarre reverse mermaid. These are our favourite shots from 2023's shortlist that are sure to brighten your day, plus some of the best entries from the 2022 competition too.
Allen Holmes/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Walk like an Egyptian goose
Hands in pockets, head bowed, this goose is the epitome of a jaded office worker ambling home after a long day. Not now avocet, not now.
Mark Schocken/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Go to your room
This exhausted owl parent hasn't slept in three nights. More importantly, she hasn't slept during the days either.
Jacques Poulard/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Khurram Khan/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
The cabaret bear
Yoda, Gandalf and the tortoise from Kung Fu Panda all rolled into one, this polar bear cub looks wise far beyond his years. Don't be fooled though: he'd rather eat your intestines than teach you about individuality and the self.
Adrian Slazok/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Everyone can fly
A multi-sensory photo, we can hear this image almost more than we can see it. Thump, thump, thump.
Thomas Vijayan/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Teddy buddies
Coming to you live from the set of Paddington 3....
Dakota Vaccaro/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Excuse me sir but I think you're a little too young to be smoking
This exceptionally casual fox has its own personal Cuban supplier. The smoking jacket, armchair and half-full whiskey glass are just out of shot.
Pratick Mondal/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Look at right bro
"And if you look straight ahead you'll see the common or garden 'mist deer'. Please make sure your flash is turned off."
Zoe Ashdown/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Danielle Goonan/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Part of your world
We're glad this bizarre photo never crossed the desk of Hans Christian Andersen, or Disney's recent live-action remake could have looked extremely different.
Vince Maidens/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Mona Lisa smile
This owl could be enjoying a joke with its friends, or mid-way through a rampaging murder spree. It's the intensity in the eyes... we're a little bit scared.
Dario Podesta/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Fellowship
These king penguins can do the macarena way better than we can. Now we want to see them do the zombie dance from Thriller.
Jacek Stankiewicz/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Dispute
Younger sibling telling on his brother, or door-to-door salesman flogging a pyramid scheme? You decide.
Bill Gozansky/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Oh my, talk about poking your nose into someone else's business
We're going to let this photo speak for itself. We don't trust ourselves to comment...
Kate Stevenson/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023
Alison Buttigieg/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
What do you mean, smile? I am smiling!
This lioness has just finished yawning but is doing everything she can to conceal a grin. Being a lioness is serious business, after all.
Torie Hilley/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
What shall I write next?
An inquisitive bear cub has discovered an eagle feather and is contemplating penning a 'bear'-all memoir.
Corinne Kozok/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Room for one more?
This guillemot has dinner in its beak and is about to dive into a horde of very hungry youths. We have a sneaking suspicion it may have to fly off in search of more supplies...
Saverio Gatto/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Jennifer Hadley/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
What cat-like reflexes?
This three-month-old lion cub tries his best to stop himself tumbling down a tree. It hasn't quite gone to plan.
Paul Eijkemans/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Not my cup of pebble
A Picasso triggerfish isn't a fan of whatever it's just eaten, as its most recent meal from the coral has come right back up.
Jagdeep Rajput/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Pegasus, the flying horse (buck)
A nilgai (also known as bluebuck) ventures too close to a sarus crane's nest. The tallest flying bird in the world attacks the bull from behind, giving the composition a Pegasus-inspired feel.
Ahmed Alahmed/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
John Chaney/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
This time it's personal
This salmon isn't going to be anyone's dinner; not even a terrifying brown bear's. The small-yet-mighty fish slaps its predator right in the face.
Lee Zhengxing/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
He said what?
A little lisper squirrel is bewildered by whatever it's seen. Or perhaps it was interrupted? Regardless, the photographer left some biscuits to apologise for the inconvenience.
Michael Eastwell/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Emmanuel Do Linh San/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Stronger than you think
These cheeky meerkats are in a playful mood, as one wraps its arms around the other's neck. Is he overreacting or just in a silly mood?
Andy Evans/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
I can't believe what I'm seeing
A young proboscis monkey can't believe his eyes at whatever he's just seen.
Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Show us yer' teeth
This bull moose seems pretty smug with his impressive antlers. Either that, or he's about to show off by attacking...
Lukas Zeman/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
You can't see me, can you?
Jennifer Hadley/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Talk to the fin
This gentoo penguin has had enough with his friend and gives the sassiest snub we've ever seen.
Sophie Hart/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Catching 40 winks
This weary long-tailed macaque mother is dreaming of a much-needed spa day as her baby clings on.
Martin Grace/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Where's your head at?
This king penguin isn't too sure about his pal's headless prank.
Ahmed Alahmed/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Alex Pansier/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Incoming!
Is this a new yoga pose we don't know about yet? This red squirrel jumps through the air during a rainstorm, giving the shot a dramatic, movie-like slow motion feel.
Bojan Bencic/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Nobody panic
This elegant swan is doing a good job of calming down whoever's in front of them.
Thomas Vijayan/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Mark Schocken/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Federica Vinci/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Your lunch break's over
A wild monkey taps his pal to make sure he's feeling fully relaxed – or to remind him of an upcoming meeting.
Ryan Sims/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Don't mind me
A duckling waddles across a turtle-covered log after a few slippery falls. Why swim when you can walk across these handy stepping stones?
Dave Shaffer/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Encore! Encore!
This bear cub isn't ready for the curtain close; he's having too good a time performing to a captivated audience.
Kevin Lohman/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Mum's the word
What secret has this American red fox promised to keep? Moments later, it disappeared into the trees ahead, adding to its mystery...
Vince Burton/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Buckaroo
This zebra dreams of being in the rodeo by delivering his best back-kick.
Jean Jacques Alcalay/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
He's behind you
Minding its own business, this heron is completely unaware of a hippo yawning directly behind it, and that it could easily be engulfed in its jaws. It also appears to be unaware (or blissfully ignorant) that it's standing on the back of another hippo.
Miroslav Srb/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022