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a squirrel is captured mid-air as it leaps toward a juvenile owl
Kevin Lohman, “Are You Kidding Me.” All images © the photographers, courtesy of Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, shared with permission

Wild Hijinx and Hilarious Happenstance Reign in the 2026 Comedy Wildlife Awards

Kate Mothes

The year’s best roundup of the funniest animal photos is back with its list of 2026 finalists, taking on a kind of blooper reel-like quality with some of the goofiest happenstances and candid moments photographers captured. Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026 celebrates the wild, wonderful, and wily in habitats around the world.

From Tanner Mansell’s “Spicy Orangutan” snapped in Borneo to a damselfly appearing to wave at British photographer Lee Frost through a window in a nibbled leaf, this year’s top contenders are not only silly, but immanently relatable, illustrating how for all of our differences, we all share this incredible planet.

an orangutan appears to give the middle finger
Tanner Mansell, “Spicy Orangutan”

At more than 10,000 photos, the competition received its highest ever number of entries this year from photographers in 112 countries. “What began as a small effort to raise awareness of wildlife conservation has grown into something far bigger than we ever imagined,” says awards co-founder Tom Sullam. “We use humour to get people to feel empathy towards wildlife, and it’s that empathy that creates behavioural change for the better.”

Nikon will announce the competition winners on December 8. In the meantime, see all 40 finalists, plus portfolios, videos, and youth submissions on the contests’s website. Additionally, cast your vote for the Sterna People’s Choice Award.

a lioness plays with her cub and appears to be knocking it over
Barbara Seiberl-Stark, “Push Over”
a humorous image of a primate looks as though it has leaped onto a tree and hurt itself, appearing to scream in pain
David Lee, “The Leap He’ll Never Forget”
a tiny bird appears to take a rest upside-down in a pink petal
Thong Duy Vu, “Out of Water”
a small insect eating a hole in a leaf appears to wave as if through a window
Lee Frost, “Nature’s Window”
a brown bear awkwardly rolls on its back and looks like it's doing calisthenics
Scott Suriano, “Morning Calisthenics”
a head-on portrait of a tiny bird with an angry expression on its face
Jan Wittmer, “Angry Bird”
a squirrel is captured mid-air as it leaps toward a juvenile owl
Kevin Lohman, “Are You Kidding Me”
a chameleon walks across a hot surface on just its hind legs
Robert Gondek, “The Ground Is Lava”
a bird of prey stands with wings open on one leg
Robert Nairn, “Ballet Dancer”
a picture of a praying mantis, partly behind the edge of a leaf so its front arms look like legs in a sultry pose
Diego Perez, “Sexy Mantis”
a long-necked heron appears to have the head of a fish as it tries to catch it in its mouth
Eigil B Jensen, “Fish-headed bird”
three giraffes stand in a grassland, one with a tree behind it that makes it look like it has crazy green hair
Dirk Koster, “The different one”

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