The lions in the above photo may look like they’re having a good laugh, but wildlife photographer Bret Saalwaechter actually captured this pride bickering during the dry season in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.
When he came across them, hungry cubs were clamoring for milk, their mothers depleted as a result of dwindling food and water. “Each time the mother, already in a foul mood from the sweltering heat, would give a quick roar of disapproval and escape the circus,” Saalwaechter writes in a description of the photo.
“But the cubs, like any persistent little ones, would chase her down, nipping at her and yelping for more attention.”
The image, titled I Just Can’t Wait to Be King, earned a spot in the final round of this year’s Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards. This annual competition celebrates wildlife photography that makes people laugh out loud, and these seemingly cackling lions are sure to elicit a chuckle.
See if you can scroll to the end of these selected finalists without having a laugh—we bet you can’t.
Now, Which Direction Is My Nest? 
A gannet with its face covered in grass at Bempton Cliffs in the U.K. © Alison Tuck
This unfortunate gannet—a type of large seabird—may have a tough time finding its way home looking like that. Photographer Alison Tuck captured the exact moment a clump of grass smacked this bird in the face as it looked out over Bempton Cliffs in the U.K.
The Shoulders of Giants 
A frog stands on another’s back to see over PCV casing on mining land near the Western Australia town of Leonora © Andrew Moritmer
“Hey, give me a boost!” Is probably what this frog said just before photographer Andrew Mortimer snapped this photo. These frogs are part of a colony that lives in a bore casing on mining land near the town of Leonora in Western Australia. “Slightly too short to see over the PVC casing, they make do wherever they can,” Mortimer writes.
Smile, You’re Being Photographed 
A brown bear grins at the camera in Martinselkonen village, Suomussalmi district, Finland © Valtteri Mulkahainen
Usually when a bear shows its teeth, it provokes more terror than laughter. But this brown bear’s goofy grin isn’t so intimidating. “When I was photographing bears, this one year old bear cub saw it and started smiling at me,” photographer Valtteri Mulkahainen writes. “Apparently he had already had to pose in front of photographers.”
Headlock 
A bridled guillemot captures another’s head in its beak in Norway © Warren Price
Ouch! The look of surprise on this bridled guillemot’s face is priceless. Wildlife photographer Warren Price spotted these seabirds nesting on a small rocky cliff ledge in Norway, where space was limited. “The nests all crammed in close together which isn’t a good recipe for being good neighbours, as guillemots are fiercely territorial,” he writes. “Sometimes you just want to bite your neighbours head off…literally!”
High Five 
A male gorilla kicks his foot high in the air in Rwanda © Mark Meth Cohn
This gorilla put on quite a show for wildlife photographer Mark Meth-Cohn during a hiking trip in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains. “On this particular day, we came across a large family group gathered in a forest clearing, the adults were calmly foraging while the youngsters were enthusiastically playing,” he writes. “One young male was especially keen to show off his acrobatic flair; pirouetting, tumbling, and high kicking.”
Flamingone 
A flamingo tucks its head out of view on a beach in Aruba © Miles Astray
No, this isn’t AI’s sorry attempt at creating an image of a flamingo. This mind-bending scene was staged by Mother Nature herself. “The picture shows a flamingo whose head is apparently missing, but I promise it’s there somewhere,” photographer Miles Astray writes. “In fact, the bird is just going about its morning routine at a Caribbean beach, head tucked beneath the torso to give the plumage a good cleaning.”
Fonzies Advertising 
A crowned sifaka licks its finger in Nosy Komba island in Madagascar © Liliana Luca
Lilliana Luca hung around after the tourists left Madagascar’s Nosy Komba island, letting silence fall. She turned her attention to a group of crowned sifakas, a species of lemur.
“It was then that he appeared, staring at me with wide, curious eyes, as if questioning my presence… or perhaps my clothing choices,” she writes. “Then, with the grace of a stage actor and the timing of a comedian, he raised his hand, licked it thoughtfully, and then paused mid-gesture, as if he knew exactly what he was doing.”
“The photo immediately reminded me of that old snack commercial: ‘If you don’t lick your fingers… you’re only half enjoying it!’” she adds.