Singing lions, posing monkeys and a ‘smoking’ duck: finalists of Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 revealed
Singing lions, posing monkeys and a ‘smoking’ duck: finalists of Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 revealed
Once again, the world’s funniest wildlife photography competition has delivered a spectacular showcase of nature’s most comical moments.
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025 Geoff Martin Little Bookham United Kingdom Title: Hornbill In A Hurry Description: This hornbill was spooked by the incoming tawny eagle and decided a quick exit was probably wise. Its ungainly departure was captured in a sequence of shots but this one for me perfectly captured the panic of the hornbill at that moment. The hornbill safely escaped although I doubt the tawny eagle was seriously interested in tackling that hornbill beak anyway. Animal: Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill Location of shot: Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
Photo Credit: Geoff Martin / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 received nearly 10,000 entries from 108 countries, featuring everything from dancing gorillas to frog teamwork and even a “smoking” duck!
Each year, the competition supports sustainable conservation and works with Whitley Fund for Nature – a UK charity that offers long term support to changemakers leading local solutions to the global biodiversity and climate crises.
The category, highly commended and overall winners will be announced on Tuesday 9 December, followed by an free exhibition at the Oxo Gallery in central London featuring all the 2025 finalist entries, from the 10-14 December 2025.
The People’s Choice Award will be open from 10th December until March 1 2026 for the public to vote on their favourite, with the winner of this category being announced on 12 March 2026.
Comedy Wildlife Awards 2025 – gallery of finalists
Grayson Bell - Baptism of the Unwilling Convert
'These two frogs were photographed fighting over their territory in our pond in Maine, USA.' - Photo Credit: Grayson Bell / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Kalin Botev - Monkey Circus
A troop of baboons was playing in a tree in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. Kalin observed the baboons jumping off the tree, going around again climbing back and jumping down again whilst one of the baboons was standing on the tree, tossing the jumping baboons. - Photo Credit: Kalin Botev / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Paula Rustemeier - Hit the Dance Floor!
Paula had frequently visited these three young red fox siblings who often went for play sessions in the sand, where this image was taken. - Photo Credit: Paula Rustemeier / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Erkko Badermann - Landing Gears Down
A red-throated loon pictured in Finland, landing like a floatplane. - Photo Credit: Erkko Badermann / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Meline Ellwanger - The Choir
Meline caught the moment three lions yawned at the same time in Masai Mara, appearing to look like they belong in a choir. - Photo Credit: Meline Ellwanger / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Michael Lane - Steller Eagles Practice Kung-Fu Tango
These two steller eagles were fighting over the fish held by the right hand eagle under his claw, photographed from a boat sailing from Rausu, Hokkaido in northern Japan. The image is a successful winner in FIAP International competitions but only published in their catalogues. - Photo Credit: Michael Lane / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Mark Meth-Cohn - High Five
This photograph was taken by Mark during a trip to Rwanda. On this particular day, they came across a large family group gathered in a forest clearing, the adults were calmly foraging while the young were enthusiastically playing. - Photo Credit: Mark Meth-Cohn / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Miles Astray - Flamingone
This picture by Miles Astray shows a flamingo going about its morning routine at a Caribbean beach, its head tucked beneath the torso to give the plumage a good cleaning. - Photo Credit: Miles Astray / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Warren Price - Headlock!
Two bridled guillemots in Hornøya, Norway. - Photo Credit: Warren Price / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Andrew Mortimer - If I Have Seen Further...
A frog pictured peering over PVC casing in Leonora, Australia. - Photo Credit: Andrew Mortimer / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Michael Stavrakakis - Paint Me Like One of Your Forest Girls
An orangutan in Borneo, Indonesia. - Photo Credit: Michael Stavrakakis / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Alison Tuck - Now Which Direction is My Nest?
This image of a gannet was taken by Alison on a windy day on Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire, UK, during the nesting season. - Photo Credit: Alison Tuck / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Ralph Robinson - Pied Piper of Penguins
Volunteer Point is notable for having about 2000 pairs of king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) breed here, at the most northerly part of their range. King penguins were once nearly extinct in the Falklands, and Volunteer Point contains most of the Falkland population. - Photo Credit: Ralph Robinson / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Geoff Martin - Hornbill In a Hurry
Geoff Martin captures the moment that a southern yellow-billed hornbill in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, was spooked by the incoming tawny eagle, making a quick exit. - Photo Credit: Geoff Martin / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Diana Rebman - Relaxing in the Trees!
A male yellow-cheeked gibbon photographed in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam. - Photo Credit: Diana Rebman / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Lars Beygang - Outdoor Smoking Zone
A mallard photographed in Neumarkt, Bavaria, Germany. - Photo Credit: Lars Beygang / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Christy Grinton - Bad Hair Day!
Pictured is a grey squirrel in the midst of moving her young to a new nest in Victoria, British Columbia. - Photo Credit: Christy Grinton / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Antoine Rezer - Territorial Defence Operation
During a rest day in Iceland after a scientific field session of five weeks in Greenland, Antoine noticed this moment that a white tailed eagle was being harassed by a goeland. - Photo Credit: Antoine Rezer / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
Picture researcher across BBC Science Focus, BBC Countryfile and BBC Wildlife
Lily is the picture researcher across BBC Science Focus, BBC Countryfile and BBC Wildlife. She holds a degree in Photojournalism, where she specialised in social documentary reportage. Her photographic work has been shortlisted for the BarTur Photo Award’s Unity in Diversity category and exhibited internationally as part of the Urban Photo Awards. Before joining the team, she worked on freelance projects and as a product specialist for leading camera brands.
