30 Of The Funniest Photos From This Year’s Nikon Wildlife Photography Contest That Are Comedy Gold

We reached out to Michelle Wood, Head of Operations at the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, to dive deeper into the origins of the competition, its impact, and what lies ahead for this unique showcase of wildlife photography.

When asked what inspired the creation of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards in 2015, Michelle shared with Bored Panda, "I was living and working as a wildlife photographer in East Africa, and while going through my photos for an exhibition, I realized that the humorous ones—whether it was a warthog’s bottom or an eagle looking at me through its legs—were the most popular. It struck me that we could use this as a tool to engage people with animals and ultimately conservation. So I set out to create a competition that celebrated wildlife in a positive, life-affirming way, open to both professionals and amateurs. Thankfully, the images from the first year caught the public’s attention, and the rest is history."

With nearly 9,000 entries from around the world, the combination of humor and wildlife photography clearly resonates with people. Michelle explained, "Everyone loves a funny animal image—it’s almost what the internet was made for. Humor is a great way to share positive messages, and our images certainly do that. This year, the finalists feature a wide variety of animals—there’s something for everyone. It doesn’t always have to focus on the 'big' animals like lions and polar bears. We have frogs, squirrels, insects, and birds represented too. There’s a certain anthropomorphic element to it, where people see human behavior in the animals, and that strengthens the connection between our lives and theirs."

The competition’s partnership with the Whitley Fund for Nature plays a key role in raising awareness about conservation. Wood highlighted their efforts, saying, "Each year we donate 10% of our profits to the Whitley Fund for Nature, specifically to conservation funded by their NextGen program. Last year, part of the funds helped Kini Roesler and his team protect the fragile populations of the Patagonian Steppe. We love working with Whitley because we can see how our contribution directly helps species and the people working tirelessly to protect them."

Behind the scenes, the judging process remains straightforward, as Michelle revealed, "The judges are given the images anonymously and asked to score them out of 20, focusing solely on humor value, as the photographic quality is already considered. We tally up the scores, and the image with the highest points wins!"

As the competition celebrates its tenth year, Michelle reflected on the journey and future aspirations, saying, "It’s hard to believe we’ve reached 10 years! But in many ways, this is still a young competition, and we have a lot more to achieve. Our hope is to get more people involved, especially the younger generation, to keep spreading the joy and, more importantly, to keep advocating for conservation. If enough people are invested in making a difference, there is hope."