Seven Best Animal Photos at the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards'2023

The annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards gather amusing animal photographs taken by travellers from around the world. The featured animals strike funny poses and have comical facial expressions in the wild, often resembling humans. The competition not only entertains participants and viewers but also raises funds for wildlife conservation organizations.

You can view all the finalists of this year's competition on the official competition website. There are 41 of them, and you can vote for your favourite to win the Affinity Photo People's Choice Award.

The main winners will be announced on November 23rd. The prize includes £500 and a lot of positivity.

Anyone interested can participate in the competition by uploading their funny photos and videos to the website.

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards was founded in 2015 in a small office by Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE, located in Usa River on the slopes of Mount Meru in northern Tanzania. Living in East Africa and working as a wildlife photographer, Paul was reviewing his photographs when he stumbled upon a few that made him laugh out loud: an eagle looking at him through its hind legs and a wart hog's behind. He realized that the humour in these photos was both entertaining and a way to engage people with the issues these animals face.

Funny animal photography is incredibly effective in communication because there are no barriers to understanding or taboos that need to be discussed. It taps into the impulse of anthropomorphism (a crucial word!) that is well-documented as one of the most potent triggers of human empathy. To truly understand animals and the issues they face, you need to empathize with them as fellow inhabitants of this planet.

Soon, photographer Tom Sullam joined the project as a co-founder, and a couple of years later, Michelle Wood also came on board.

Since then, under the guidance of its founders, the photo competition has expanded and become a global event, seen by millions of people each year, capable of making a significant contribution to the remarkable world of wildlife conservation.

For a long time, organizers were inundated with images of suffering wildlife and habitats. Comedy Wildlife, instead, employs humour as a tool to engage a broader audience in wildlife preservation.

1. Poland. Gdansk-Brzezno Beach © Jaroslaw Kolacz/ComedyWildlife "This swan on the beach really caught my attention."

2. Poland. Bialowieza Forest © Jacek Stankiewicz/ComedyWildlife "I captured this scene while watching birds in the Bialowieza Forest," wrote Stankiewicz. "The young green woodpecker was still being fed by its parents. However, from time to time, the birds looked as if they were having an argument."

3. Finland © Dikla Gabriely/ComedyWildlife "Shoot me!" Gabriely caught "a brown bear in Finland, which did everything to get my attention rather than the other bears."

4. England © Adrian Slazok/ComedyWildlife Seals also fly, but very low. "In the photo is a grey seal," wrote Slazok. "In late autumn, seals leave the North Sea to give birth to their pups."

5. United Kingdom. Wales © Michael Erwin/ComedyWildlife Determined owl. "The little owl looks the way only they can," Erwin wrote.

6. Canada. Kemore, Ontario © Vince Maidens/ComedyWildlife Festive owl. "This snowy owl landed near my house while I was watching a movie," Maidens wrote.

7. Grand Teton National Park, USA © John Blumenkamp/ComedyWildlife Monday owl. "This large grey owl spent most of the day posing grandly and looking wise, but for a moment after stretching elegantly, it slumped and looked as if Monday had already ended?" Blumenkamp wrote.