Three-panel image: Left, a surprised eagle with its beak open in snow; center, a flamingo with only its body and legs visible on a beach; right, a squirrel mid-jump with legs and arms spread wide.

The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards have shared the 40 finalists for its highly anticipated 2025 competition. The shortlisted photos are not only hilarious but also demonstrate very impressive photographic skills.

Yet again, this year’s Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards received a record-setting number of entries. For the 2025 edition, photographers from 108 countries submitted nearly 10,000 images.

The grand prize winner, to be revealed on December 9 at a special Awards Night in London, will win an incredible one-week safari with Alex Walker’s Serian in the Masai Mara. Additional top prizes include Nikon Z6 III, Nikon Z50 II, and Nikon ZR cameras, plus various kits provided by Think Tank Photo.

“The Nikon Comedy Wildlife finalists are in, and we’re excited to share with you the brilliant images showcasing unique talent of photographers from every corner of the globe. These images combine wit and wonder to celebrate nature’s character, while emphasizing the urgency of conservation. At Nikon, we’re proud to support a competition that sparks joy while reminding us why our wild world is worth protecting,” says Stefan Maier, Nikon Europe Senior General Manager Marketing.

Individual Photo Finalists Two large eagles with dark feathers and white tails face each other on an icy surface, wings spread wide, reflected in the golden light of sunset with snow and ice in the background.‘Stellar sea eagles practice kung-fu’ by Mike Lane | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A white bird with outstretched wings has its head covered in green grass and plants, obscuring its face, with a blurred blue and green background.‘Now which direction is my nest?’ by Alison Tuck | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025
A small brown frog clings to the edge of a curved, light-brown surface, possibly a piece of wood or bamboo, with a blurred background.‘The Shoulders of Giants’ by Andrew Mortimer | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Two ring-tailed lemurs sit on a large rock, one with its arms raised high and the other resting calmly, both facing each other in a sunlit outdoor setting with greenery and rocks in the background.‘Welcome to Zen Lemur Yoga Course!’ by Andrey Giljov | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A Steller’s sea eagle with a bright yellow beak sits in deep white snow, looking upward with its mouth open, displaying striking brown feathers and intense yellow eyes.‘Go away’ by Annette Kirby | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A bird flies above and defecates on a large eagle perched on a rocky outcrop under a clear blue sky. The eagle spreads its wings slightly while the other bird is in mid-air above it.‘Territorial Defense Operation’ by Antoine Rezer | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A green frog rests among lush leaves and stems, partially hidden by the surrounding foliage in a brightly lit, green environment.‘The Frog Prince of the Grape Vine’ by Beate Ammer | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A pufferfish swims underwater, facing the camera, with clear blue water and a sandy ocean floor in the background.‘What do you mean I need to see a dentist?’ by Bingqian Gao | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Three adult lions and one cub sit on a large rock in sunlight. Two lions and the cub appear to be roaring or yawning, while the third lion stands beside them. The sky is clear and blue.‘I Just Can’t Wait To Be King’ by Bret Saalwaechter | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025
A dragonfly with golden-brown, translucent wings rests on the tip of a spiky plant stem, shown against a dark, blurred background.‘All Smiles’ by Chris Stanley | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A wet squirrel pokes its head and paw out of a hole in a tree trunk with colorful, peeling bark in shades of orange, yellow, and brown.‘Bad Hair Day!’ by Christy Grinton | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Close-up of a dark-feathered bird with a rounded head, its face and eyes almost entirely hidden by dense, shaggy feathers, with only its beak partially visible through the plumage.‘Great Hair Day’ by David Fetters | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Two red-crowned cranes stand on snow; one crane is walking while the other lifts its wings and hops gracefully, as if dancing, against a blurred brown and white background.‘OMG he’s at it again!’ by David Rice | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A black-furred gibbon with light orange cheeks lounges comfortably across two tree branches, holding onto the branches with its long arms and legs amid green leaves.‘Relaxing in the trees!’ by Diana Rebman | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A bird skims across the surface of a calm body of water with wings outstretched, creating splashes as it lands. The scene is softly focused with a blurred background.‘Landing Gears Down’ by Erkko Badermann | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A yellow-billed hornbill with striking black and white feathers runs on sandy ground, wings outstretched, with another bird blurred in the background.‘Hornbill In a Hurry’ by Geoff Martin | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025
A large frog in murky water grasps a yellow bird with its front legs, appearing to attack or eat it, while the bird struggles and splashes, partially submerged near a muddy bank.‘Baptism of the Unwilling Convert’ by Grayson Bell | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Close-up of an Asian elephant with large, mottled ears folded forward, partially covering its eyes. The elephant’s skin is wrinkled and rough, with patches of lighter pigmentation on its ears and trunk.‘Peek a Boo’ by Henry Szwinto | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Two leopards are interacting; one appears to be playfully biting or nuzzling the other, with its paw gently on the other's shoulder, set against a blurred green natural background.‘Bad mouthing’ by Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A colorful fish with orange, blue, and yellow markings peeks out from a hole in a textured brown coral, looking directly at the camera.‘Smiler’ by Jenny Stock | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Two large monitor lizards stand upright, appearing to embrace or wrestle each other on a grassy patch, with a blurred green background.‘Battle Hug’ by Jessica Emmett | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A white duck with a black head floats on dark water, with ripples around it. A small brown bird is perched on the duck’s back. The scene is calm and reflective.‘It is tough being a duck’ by John Speirs | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Three young baboons play and leap on a large, curved tree trunk against a soft pink and purple sky, with one baboon airborne and the other two climbing and reaching toward each other.‘Monkey Circus’ by Kalin Botev | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025
A mallard duck stands on a wooden fence with green ivy, exhaling a visible cloud of warm breath into cool air, resembling smoke, against a blurred background.‘Outdoor smoking zone’ by Lars Beygang | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A small monkey sits on the ground looking up at the legs of a large elephant, with sunlight casting shadows on the forest floor.‘Oh my!’ by Laurent Nilles | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A lemur with wide eyes licks its paw while clinging to the side of a tree, with a blurred green background.‘Fonzies advertising’ by Liliana Luca | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A black woodpecker with a red patch on its head flies against a gradient blue sky, appearing streamlined with wings tucked close to its body.‘Masquerading as an arrow’ by Magnus Berggren | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A close-up of two gorillas lying together in the grass, one gently holding and nuzzling the other's face, conveying a sense of affection and intimacy. Lush green leaves surround them.‘Aaaaaww Mum!’ by Mark Meth-Cohn | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A young gorilla stands on one leg in a grassy area, raising the other leg and one arm as if striking a playful pose. Lush green foliage and trees fill the background.‘High Five’ by Mark Meth-Cohn | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Two lions sit on grass; the lion on the right shakes its head, sending water droplets flying, while the lion on the left has its eyes closed, appearing to brace against the spray. Green foliage is visible in the background.‘Darling, please stop!’ by Massimo Felici | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025
Three lions sit close together in tall grass, all with their mouths wide open, appearing to roar or yawn in unison. The background is a grassy savanna with a soft, out-of-focus horizon.‘The Choir’ by Meline Ellwanger | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 An orangutan stands upright in a forest, holding onto a tree with one arm raised above its head and the other arm bent. The background is filled with tall trees and green foliage.‘Paint Me Like One of Your Forest Girls’ by Michael Stavrakakis | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A flamingo stands on white sand near the shoreline with its head hidden from view, blue water and gentle waves in the background.‘Flamingone’ by Miles Astray | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Three red foxes play together on pale sand; one fox is lying belly-up with its legs in the air while the other two stand nearby, appearing engaged and playful.‘Hit the Dance Floor’ by Paula Rustemeier | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A close-up of a yellow and black grasshopper standing on a gray surface, with one hind leg raised and a blurred green background.‘Stretch your leg’ by Peter Reinold | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A group of sheep and lambs graze on grass while four king penguins walk nearby under a cloudy sky, all on an open field.‘Pied Piper Penguins’ by Ralph Robinson | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A squirrel is captured mid-jump with its legs and arms spread wide, appearing to be flying. The background is blurred green, highlighting the squirrel's dynamic pose and fluffy fur.‘Squirrel Airborne Surrender Mode’ by Stefan Cruysberghs | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025
A large brown bear with thick fur is lying on the ground, baring its teeth in a defensive or aggressive display. The background is blurred, showing natural outdoor surroundings with grass and rocks.‘Smile, you’re being photographed’ by Valtteri Mulkahainen | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Two guillemots interact closely; one bird faces the camera with wide eyes while the other touches its beak to the first bird's head against a plain gray background.‘Headlock’ by Warren Price | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A rhinoceros partially submerged in water, surrounded by yellow aquatic plants, with vegetation draped over its head and body.‘The Wig’ by Yann Chauvette | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Portfolio Finalists A young chimpanzee with black fur sits among green leaves, gazing at the camera while touching its mouth with one hand.‘Digging for Gold’ by Maggie Hoffman | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A chimpanzee eating seeds.‘Digging for Gold’ by Maggie Hoffman | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A chimpanzee with closed eyes holds one hand near its mouth, appearing to inspect or lick its fingers, while surrounded by green leaves in a natural outdoor setting.‘Digging for Gold’ by Maggie Hoffman | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A young chimpanzee sits among green leaves, holding its mouth with one hand and looking at the camera with a curious expression.‘Digging for Gold’ by Maggie Hoffman | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025
A harbor seal rests on its side at the edge of the water, with its head raised and one flipper touching its face, against a blurred blue background of rippling water.‘Hear no evil’ by Oliver Colle | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A harbor seal lies on its side on a mossy rock near the water, appearing relaxed with its flipper raised to its face. The background is a calm, blue body of water.‘Hear no evil’ by Oliver Colle | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A seal lies on a rock by the water, resting on its side with one flipper raised toward its mouth, appearing relaxed. The background shows calm, rippling blue water.‘Hear no evil’ by Oliver Colle | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 A seal lies on the shore with its body curved and head raised, eyes closed as if basking in the sun, in front of calm water.‘Hear no evil’ by Oliver Colle | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Two lion cubs playfully spar with each other in a grassy field while an adult lion walks nearby, all surrounded by green vegetation.‘Playful Cubs in the Marsh’ by Vicki Jauron | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Two lion cubs playfully interact while sitting on grassy ground, one cub reaching out its paw toward the other as they face each other, surrounded by soft, blurred greenery in the background.‘Playful Cubs in the Marsh’ by Vicki Jauron | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 Two lion cubs playfully stand on their hind legs facing each other, appearing to hold paws and interact energetically on grassy ground, with a blurred green background.‘Playful Cubs in the Marsh’ by Vicki Jauron | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025
A lioness lies on the grass while a playful lion cub leaps onto her head, mid-air, in a natural outdoor setting with blurred green background.‘Playful Cubs in the Marsh’ by Vicki Jauron | Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 When the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards Winners Will be Revealed

The annual awards were co-founded by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam in 2015 to celebrate the fun fusion of wildlife photography and humor. The duo hoped to raise money to help promote wildlife and habitat conservation. It’s safe to say they have achieved that goal. The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards are teaming with the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) in the United Kingdom again. The organization has channeled £24 million to conservationist leaders in 80 countries across the Global South over the past 30 years.

“We had an awesome year last year and are absolutely delighted to be able to partner with the Nikon team again for 2025.  Their ongoing support has supercharged the competition, reaching more people in more countries than ever before, helping us raise awareness of animal and habitat conservation and crucially, highlight the fundamental importance of having wildlife on our planet and in our lives,” says Tom Sullam. “These inspiring and funny photos and videos do just that. It’s a privilege to be part of this exciting journey, making us all laugh and we can’t wait to announce the winners in December.”

Alongside the overall winners, there will also be category winners and Highly Commended photos. All the awarded pictures and videos will be on display at the Gallery@Oxo in London from December 10-14.

There is also a People’s Choice Award, which will be open for voting starting on December 10. Voting closes on March 12, 2026.

Image credits: All photos provided courtesy of the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards. Each photographer is credited in the individual image captions.