The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards just unveiled their annual finalists from a record breaking nearly 10,000 hilarious entries submitted from 108 countries around the world. Professional photographers Paul Joynson Hicks and Tom Sullam co founded the competition to fuse exceptional wildlife photography with the positive power of humor while promoting conservation of the precious wildlife and habitats our planet depends on. This year’s jaw dropping collection features animals caught in headlocks, doing high fives, getting hugs, and even a young gorilla in Rwanda showing off his acrobatic flair with pirouetting, tumbling, and high kicks that brought pure joy to observers.
The authentic photographs include no AI or digital manipulation and capture incredible moments like a Sri Lankan elephant playing peek a boo with his ears, a lemur thoughtfully licking his hand with perfect comedic timing, and guillemots cramped on a cliff ledge with one bird’s head firmly clamped in its neighbor’s beak during a territorial dispute. Finalists are competing to win an incredible one week safari in the Masai Mara along with Nikon cameras and photography equipment, with winners to be announced at an Awards Night in London on December 9th. The free competition welcomes photography novices, amateurs, and professionals alike to celebrate the hilarity of our natural world while bringing conservation awareness to everyone. These delightful images prove that wildlife photography can be both stunning and sidesplitting, reminding us why protecting these incredible creatures and their habitats matters so much.
