Hilarious Highlights: 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards Nominees

The most amusing photo competition in the world returns with the finalists of its 2025 event. Each year, the [Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards](https://www.comedywildlifephoto.com/) brings joy through comical images of animals from around the globe. Simultaneously, these amusing photos serve as a reminder of critical conservation challenges that must be tackled to guarantee that these creatures lead long, healthy lives.

The selection of 40 individual images, three portfolios, and 10 videos has been narrowed down from an unprecedented number of submissions. There were nearly 10,000 entries overall from 108 nations, featuring everything from frolicking frogs to agile squirrels. The finalists will now vie for the title of Comedy Wildlife Photographer of the Year and a one-week safari in the Masai Mara, among other accolades.

“The Nikon Comedy Wildlife finalists are revealed, and we’re thrilled to share with you the stunning images that highlight the distinctive talent of photographers from all around the world. These images blend humor and awe to celebrate the essence of nature while underscoring the need for conservation. At Nikon, we take pride in supporting a competition that brings joy while reminding us of the importance of protecting our wild world.”

The overall champion, category victors, and highly commended entries will be disclosed at a special gathering in London on December 9. The next day, all finalists will be exhibited for a week at London’s [Gallery@Oxo](https://coinstreet.org/whats-on), providing even greater exposure for their remarkable work.

Scroll down to view a selection of our top finalists and then visit the [official website](https://www.comedywildlifephoto.com/) to check out the complete shortlist.

**The 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has revealed its shortlist.**

**Animal:** Lion
**Location of shot:** Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
While I was photographing a pride of lions in the Serengeti, I observed a group of cubs that were embodying their inner toddlers, persistently demanding milk and attention from their mother, much to the irritation of the adult lions. Life during the dry season is far from easy—lions are eagerly anticipating the Great Migration and the banquet it promises—but it offers stunning wildlife behaviors, with these cubs taking center stage. For over an hour, they trailed after their mother around a well-known Serengeti kopje—those signature rocky formations that pepper the landscape—switching between attempts to suckle and play. Each time the mother, already in a foul temperament from the scorching heat, would give a swift roar of discontent and escape the chaos. However, the cubs, like any determined little ones, would pursue her, nipping at her and yelping for additional attention. This repetitive drama unfolded time and again until I caught the perfect moment: the entire pride, in perfect synchronization, seemed to express, “Not this again!”

**The Competition’s Varied and Global Appeal**

**Animal:** Gannet
**Location of shot:** Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, UK
A breezy day on Bempton Cliffs during the nesting season.

**Animal:** Propithecus coronatus (Lemur)
**Location of shot:** Madagascar
This instance occurred after the tourists had departed Nosy Komba (Madagascar). I paused, allowing silence to envelop me, and focused on a group of crowned sifakas (Propithecus deckenii). It was at that moment he appeared, gazing at me with wide, inquisitive eyes, as if questioning my presence… or maybe even my fashion choices. Then, with the elegance of a stage performer and the comic timing of a comedian, he lifted his hand, thoughtfully licked it, and then halted mid-movement, as if he fully understood what he was doing. The image instantly made me think of that classic snack advertisement: “If you don’t lick your fingers… you’re only half enjoying it!” Ultimately, this is why I adore nature photography: sometimes nature’s humor surpasses our own; you just need to be prepared to capture it.

**Animal:** Green Frog
**Location of shot:** Biddeford, Maine USA
These two frogs were squabbling over their territory in our pond in Maine. It appeared to me that one of them was being baptized against his will. I thought it was rather a