Have you ever seen a fish flying through the air while hunting a bald eagle? Neither have we, until now. And that can only mean one thing – the Comedy Wildlife Awards have announced their finalists for the 2024 version of their competition, and this year's batch is as funny as ever.
The Overall Winner, Category and Highly Commended Winners will be announced on Tuesday 10 December, with a free exhibition at Gallery@Oxo from 10-16 December.
Until then, here are our top picks from this year's Comedy Wildlife Awards.
Shake, ruffle, rattle and roll!
A white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) ruffles its feathers and pulls a very amusing face. Photographed in Kustavi, Finland. Photo by Tapani Linnanmäki/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Alright mate back off - this is my bird!
This image was taken in South Georgia, United Kingdom, and shows a male king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) trying to make a move on a female who has already paired up with her male. Photo by Andy Rouse/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Peek-a-boo
A cheeky-looking blenny fish peaking out from a hole in the coral. Photographed at Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Photo by Alexander Fine/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Unexpected role swap
Every annoyed and overtired fish like this bream needs to de-stress by hunting a bald eagle. Photographed at Szczecin Lagoon, Poland. Photo by Przemyslaw Jakubczyk/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Cold shower
This doe got up on her hind legs to grab some leaves from the tree to eat, but when she got back down on all fours, she suddenly let go of the branch and took a cold shower on the head. Photographed at Pyrénées-Orientales, France. Photo by Corentin Revel/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Mantis flamenca
This Mantis Mediterranean (Iris oratorio) came to party and is loving life. Photographed at Onda, Spain. Photo by Jose Miguel Gallego Molina/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Smiling elephant seal
A smiling male elephant seal is actually on his way to fight another male in this image, photographed at Peninsula Valdes, Chubut Province, Argentina. Photo by Gabriel Rojo/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Monday again
This nutria (a type of rodent) looks to be deep in despair but is actually grooming itself. Photographed in Germany. Photo by Christopher Arnold/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Hajime!
Hajime (the title of this image) is the term used by the referee in Judo to invite opponents to start fighting. Here, the standing bear seems to be saying this to the other two polar bears, adopting the gesture that referees use. Photographed at the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, USA. Photo by Philippe Ricordel/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
This flying squirrel (Pteromyini) is going to make you an offer you can't refuse. Photographed in Hokkaido, Japan. Photo by Takashi Kubo/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Wait! Which zebra is in front!!!
The framing of this image of three zebras makes it difficult to tell which individual is standing in front. Photographed at Masai Mara, Kenya. Photo by Sarosh Lodhi/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Although it might look like a fun game, this female cheetah is probably about to do something quite horrible to this poor Topi. Photographed at the Mara North Conservancy, Kenya. Photo by Leslie Mcleod/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Otter guru
This sea otter (Enhydra lutris) reminded the photographer of a guru meditating but is grooming itself whilst skillfully floating. Photographed at Elkhorn Slough, California, USA. Photo by Charles Janson/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
The rock star
Fan-throated lizards are found only in the Indian subcontinent, where they have evolved under the influence of changing climates. Here is the female lizard standing upright to escape the summer heat. Photo by Sanjay Patil/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
The contemplative chimpanzee
Shot in the jungles of Uganda, this image of a chimpanzee seems to be contemplating an important issue. Photo by Arvind Mohandas/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
England Cricket's latest secret weapon!
A sifaka (Propithecus) throws all kinds of shapes in this image, photographed in Madagascar. This pose looks like they are about to bowl a cricket ball. Photo by Andy Rouse/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Crash on landing
A whiskered tern (Chlidonias hybrida) crashes upon landing while another tern watches on. Photographed at Svishtov, Bulgaria. Photo by Damyan Petkov/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Laughing out loud
This newborn seal seems to be laughing at a good joke. Photographed at Helgoland, Germany. Photo by Ingo Hamann/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
I'll tell you a secret
A tiny raccoon is telling a secret to its mum while whispering in her ear. Photographed in Germany. Photo by Jan Piecha/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Holding on for a ride
After a nap, the mother brown bear decides to go for a walk, but the lazy cubs would rather take a ride. Photographed at Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, USA. Photo by Alexander Fine/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
Are you kidding?
Two Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus) seem to share a joke. Photographed at Cape Cross Seal Reserve, Namibia. Photo by Marti Phillips/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024
James Cutmore is the picture editor of BBC Science Focus Magazine. He has worked on the magazine and website for over a decade, telling compelling science stories through the use of striking imagery. He holds a degree in Fine Art, and has been nominated for the British Society of Magazine Editors Talent Awards, being highly commended in 2020. His main areas of interest include photography that highlights positive technology and the natural world. For many years he was a judge for the Wellcome Trust's image competition, as well as judging for the Royal Photographic Society.
This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
