The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have a list of finalists. Since 2015 the contest has had entries from all over the world and the photos are hilarious. This year's entries are no different, from a squirrel getting stuck in a tree, to a smiling elephant seal, the pictures can make you burst out laughing.
However, far from bieng just a contest for silly pictures, the founder, wildlife photographer Paul Joynson-Hicks wants to create empathy for the animals by using humor.
“Our world is extraordinarily beautiful and interconnected, yet the human race is doing its best to over-exploit and damage it. Issues of wildlife conservation and sustainability are gaining momentum globally, yet the messages and images tend to be negative, depressing and enervating,” Joynson-Hicks stated.
The annual contest can be entered by professionals and novices alike and each person can enter 10 photographs in a variety of categories. The winners will be announced on Dec. 10, the photographer of the year wins a safari in Kenya for two people. People can vote in the "People's Choice Awards" until Oct. 31.
"Comedy Wildlife was born from the need for a wildlife photography competition that was light-hearted, unpretentious and importantly, could make a difference to animals and our natural world. Its founders realised that laughter was a uniquely effective tool to engage audiences of all ages and cultures with images of creatures they may never be able to see for themselves – and that the world could lose forever," the website states.
