A sneak peek at some of the best 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards submissions
Front runners of the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards are revealing some of the best entries so far in the 2025 contest. Over a thousand entries have already been received from around the world. The contest was founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam to focus on "the lighter side of wildlife photography" and to help promote conservation with humor. In line with its mission, the Comedy Wildlife Awards support a conservation organization each year. This year's partner is the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), a UK charity that supports conservation leaders working in their home countries throughout the Global South. The charity has been funding conservation for over 30 years, helping more than 220 conservationists in 80 countries. The popular competition is still open for submissions through June 30, so there's still time to submit if you have your own funny wildlife captures. There are nine different categories, including Alex Walker’s Serian Mammals Category, Spectrum Photo Birds Category, Fish and Other Aquatic Species, Nikon Young Photographer, Nikon Junior Category and more. It's free to enter, and winners will earn prizes like a safari in the Maasai Mara in Kenya for the top prize, a Nikon Z50II with 16-50mm VR kit for the Junior Category winner and a Nikon Z6II with 24-120mm kit for the Young Photographer Category winner. All category winners will receive a ThinkTank bag. You can learn more and submit your images at the contest website. Go away Photographer: Annette Kirby Title: Go away Animal: White Tailed Sea Eagle Location of image: Hokkaido, Japan Description: This was taken in Japan where I was observing a White-Tailed Sea Eagle putting their fish in a hole and protecting it. This one had a fish and saw another Eagle coming in to try and steal it. Go give it a try! Photographer: Bhargava Srivari Title: Go give it a try! Animal: Lion Location of image: Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya Description: The image shows Lion siblings at play, where one of the siblings seems to pushing the other one to do stuff that annoys their mom. Lions aren't natural climbers, so it looks like one sibling is encouraging the other to do something naughty! I hate Ikea Photographer: Brian Hempstead Title: I hate Ikea Animal: Common Myna Nest Build Location of image: Kruger NP South Africa Description: Photo taken at Kruger NP South Africa outside Skukuza Camp on Lower Sabie Rd at Sunset Dam in October and November during a self driving birding trip around National Parks of South Africa Laugh like no-one is watching Photographer: Emma Parker Title: Laugh like no-one is watching Animal: Blue Spotted Mudskipper Location of image: Western Australia Description: Two joyful mudskippers look they are having the best time in the mud - I just wish I knew what the joke was! Mud is fun Happy deer Photographer: Jeremy Duvekot Title: Happy deer Animal: Roedeer Location of image: The Netherlands Description: This roedeer was yofull running around and suddenly coming my way. Had only 1 chance and nailed it. Aaaaaww Mum! Photographer: Mark Meth-Cohn Title: Aaaaaww Mum! Animal: Gorilla Location of image: Rwanda Description: Caring Gorilla mum giving her infant a big sloppy kiss! Queueing for the polar plunge Photographer: Martin Schmid Title: Queueing for the polar plunge Animal: Gentoo Penguins Location of image: Neumayer Channel, Antarctica Description: A really spontaneous shot from an expedition ship in Antarctica. Those gentoo penguins seemed to orderly wait in queue to finally jump into the sea. Taken in January 2025. Commandeer Photographer: Rachelle Mackintosh Title: Commandeer Animal: Galapagos marine iguana and lava lizard Location of image: Fernandina Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador Description: A lava lizard takes charge of a Galapagos marine iguana and sets off on a ride. Judging by the iguana's possessed eyes, lava lizard may have taken over its soul, too. These two silly billies were hanging out with a big bunch of marine iguanas on a rocky beach. Photographed handheld on Fernandina Island in the Galapagos Islands in Oct 2023. Waving Dragon Photographer: Trevor Rix Title: Waving Dragon Animal: Gippsland Waterdragon Location of image: Murrumbidgee River near Canberra, ACT, Australia Description: Wandering along the Murrumbidgee River we spotted a few lizards sc urrying under the rocks looking for lunch, next thing this junior Gippsland Waterdragon popped up and gave us a friendly wave. The wig Photographer: Yann Chauvette Title: The wig Animal: Greater One-Horned Rhino Location of image: Chitwan National Park, Nepal Description: A Greater One-Horned Rhino feasting on aquatic fine dining, diving underwater and getting back up with a new wig made out of his delicious meal.

Front runners of the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards
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The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards are revealing some of the best entries so far in the 2025 contest. Over a thousand entries have already been received from around the world. The contest was founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam to focus on "the lighter side of wildlife photography" and to help promote conservation with humor.
In line with its mission, the Comedy Wildlife Awards support a conservation organization each year. This year's partner is the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), a UK charity that supports conservation leaders working in their home countries throughout the Global South. The charity has been funding conservation for over 30 years, helping more than 220 conservationists in 80 countries.
The popular competition is still open for submissions through June 30, so there's still time to submit if you have your own funny wildlife captures. There are nine different categories, including Alex Walker’s Serian Mammals Category, Spectrum Photo Birds Category, Fish and Other Aquatic Species, Nikon Young Photographer, Nikon Junior Category and more. It's free to enter, and winners will earn prizes like a safari in the Maasai Mara in Kenya for the top prize, a Nikon Z50II with 16-50mm VR kit for the Junior Category winner and a Nikon Z6II with 24-120mm kit for the Young Photographer Category winner. All category winners will receive a ThinkTank bag. You can learn more and submit your images at the contest website.
Go away
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Photographer: Annette Kirby
Title: Go away
Animal: White Tailed Sea Eagle
Location of image: Hokkaido, Japan
Description: This was taken in Japan where I was observing a White-Tailed Sea Eagle putting their fish in a hole and protecting it. This one had a fish and saw another Eagle coming in to try and steal it.
Go give it a try!
![]() |
Photographer: Bhargava Srivari
Title: Go give it a try!
Animal: Lion
Location of image: Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Description: The image shows Lion siblings at play, where one of the siblings seems to pushing the other one to do stuff that annoys their mom. Lions aren't natural climbers, so it looks like one sibling is encouraging the other to do something naughty!
I hate Ikea
![]() |
Photographer: Brian Hempstead
Title: I hate Ikea
Animal: Common Myna Nest Build
Location of image: Kruger NP South Africa
Description: Photo taken at Kruger NP South Africa outside Skukuza Camp on Lower Sabie Rd at Sunset Dam in October and November during a self driving birding trip around National Parks of South Africa
Laugh like no-one is watching
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Photographer: Emma Parker
Title: Laugh like no-one is watching
Animal: Blue Spotted Mudskipper
Location of image: Western Australia
Description: Two joyful mudskippers look they are having the best time in the mud - I just wish I knew what the joke was! Mud is fun
Happy deer
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Photographer: Jeremy Duvekot
Title: Happy deer
Animal: Roedeer
Location of image: The Netherlands
Description: This roedeer was yofull running around and suddenly coming my way. Had only 1 chance and nailed it.
Aaaaaww Mum!
![]() |
Photographer: Mark Meth-Cohn
Title: Aaaaaww Mum!
Animal: Gorilla
Location of image: Rwanda
Description: Caring Gorilla mum giving her infant a big sloppy kiss!
Queueing for the polar plunge
![]() |
Photographer: Martin Schmid
Title: Queueing for the polar plunge
Animal: Gentoo Penguins
Location of image: Neumayer Channel, Antarctica
Description: A really spontaneous shot from an expedition ship in Antarctica. Those gentoo penguins seemed to orderly wait in queue to finally jump into the sea. Taken in January 2025.
Commandeer
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Photographer: Rachelle Mackintosh
Title: Commandeer
Animal: Galapagos marine iguana and lava lizard
Location of image: Fernandina Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Description: A lava lizard takes charge of a Galapagos marine iguana and sets off on a ride. Judging by the iguana's possessed eyes, lava lizard may have taken over its soul, too. These two silly billies were hanging out with a big bunch of marine iguanas on a rocky beach. Photographed handheld on Fernandina Island in the Galapagos Islands in Oct 2023.
Waving Dragon
![]() |
Photographer: Trevor Rix
Title: Waving Dragon
Animal: Gippsland Waterdragon
Location of image: Murrumbidgee River near Canberra, ACT, Australia
Description: Wandering along the Murrumbidgee River we spotted a few lizards sc urrying under the rocks looking for lunch, next thing this junior Gippsland Waterdragon popped up and gave us a friendly wave.
The wig
![]() |
Photographer: Yann Chauvette
Title: The wig
Animal: Greater One-Horned Rhino
Location of image: Chitwan National Park, Nepal
Description: A Greater One-Horned Rhino feasting on aquatic fine dining, diving underwater and getting back up with a new wig made out of his delicious meal.