NEED TO KNOW
Mark Meth-Cohn has won this year’s Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards
The winning image saw the British photographer capture a gorilla dancing in a forest clearing in Rwanda earlier this year
“One young male was especially keen to show off his acrobatic flair, pirouetting, tumbling, and high kicking,” Meth-Cohn said of snapping the unique shot
The winning image at the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards — a shot of a gorilla dancing in a forest — is sure to put a smile on your face.
On Tuesday, Dec. 9, it was announced that British photographer Mark Meth-Cohn had won the top accolade at this year’s awards, per a press release obtained by PEOPLE.
His photo, which is named ‘High Five’, features a shot of a “young gorilla cavorting through a forest clearing.” The primate can be seen throwing his leg and arm up in the air while flashing his teeth in the image.
According to the release, the photo was taken in Rwanda earlier this year and “stood out among a record-breaking 10,000 entries from 109 countries — the highest number in the Awards’ illustrious eleven-year history.”
The photo also claimed the mammals category award after impressing the judging panel.
Grayson Bell/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
Another photo entry titled ‘Baptism of the Unwilling Convert’
Speaking about the photo, Meth-Cohn said in a statement, “We spent four unforgettable days trekking through the misty Virunga Mountains in search of the gorilla families that call them home.”
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“On this particular day, we came across a large family group known as the Amahoro family, they were gathered in a forest clearing where the adults were calmly foraging while the youngsters were enthusiastically playing,” he continued.
“One young male was especially keen to show off his acrobatic flair, pirouetting, tumbling, and high kicking. Watching his performance was pure joy, and I’m thrilled to have captured his playful spirit in this image.”
Several other playful photos also reached the top spot in other categories.
Maggie Hoffman’s photo of a chimpanzee picking her nose won the portfolio category, while teen Grayson Bell’s image of two frogs wrestling in the water grabbed him the reptile, amphibian and insect award, along with the junior category for those aged 16 and under.
Valtteri Mulkahainen/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
Valtteri Mulkahainen’s ‘Smile, You’re Being Photographed’ image of a bear
The 13-year-old, who is from the U.S., said the image was captured in a pond in the spring of 2023. “I took my camera and lay on my belly, watching them [the frogs] and taking shots,” Bell said. “It wasn’t until I got back to the house and looked at the pictures that I saw this one and realized how much I liked it. I showed it to my parents and they loved it too and it became one of my favorites. We all thought it looked like one frog was trying to baptize the other!”
Other shots that were mentioned as highly commended winners include Valtteri Mulkahainen’s image of a smiling bear and Meline Ellwanger’s photo of three yawning lions.
Kalin Botev/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
Kalin Botev’s image titled ‘Monkey Circus’
Kalin Botev’s photo of a group of monkeys playing, titled ‘Monkey Circus,’ was also highly commended and was captured on the photographer’s honeymoon in Zimbabwe.
Liliana Luca/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
Liliana Luca’s hilarious image of a lemur licking its finger
Meanwhile, Lilian Luca’s hilarious photo of a what appeared to be a lemur licking its finger also earned a spot on the highly commended list.
The Italian photographer, who captured the moment in Madagascar, said the lemur was staring at him with “wide, curious eyes” and “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.”
“Ultimately, this is why I love nature photography so much: sometimes nature’s sense of humor is better than our own; you just have to be ready to catch it,” the photographer added.
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