The shortlist for the 2026 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has been announced, showcasing a diverse array of amusing moments captured by photographers across the globe. The competition, which celebrates the lighter side of the natural world, will reveal its champions on December 8.
Among the selected entries is a striking image by Dirk Koster titled “The Different One.” Photographed in Kenya’s Maasai Mara in 2025, the shot features three young giraffes on the savanna with an umbrella acacia perfectly aligned behind the middle one, creating the illusion that the animal is wearing a large green hairdo. Koster noted that the image was a result of timing and position rather than staging.
UK-based photographer Lee Frost submitted “Nature’s Window,” which captures an Azure damselfly in Stoke-on-Trent appearing to wave cheerfully through a hole in a leaf. Frost described the moment as occurring after dawn insect photography, noting the damselfly seemed to have the last laugh.
Underwater photography also features prominently, with Fabi Fregonesi’s entry showing a blenny in Curaçao with a comical open-mouthed expression inside a reef tube. Fregonesi highlighted the extreme patience required to capture the fish’s sharp expression during a brief feeding moment.
Other notable finalists include Andy Rouse’s photograph of an Asian water buffalo in Sri Lanka’s Lake Kumana, which appears to be wearing a floral bonnet. Hannah Deitl captured a playful elephant in South Africa, while Marek Jackowski documented walruses in Svalbard that he humorously described as an “Arctic mafia” inspecting him during a sunrise expedition.
The collection also features Celine Nic Oireachtaigh’s cozy image of greylag goslings snuggling in Ireland, Ka Chun Jacky’s frowning mountain scops owl in China, and Diego Perez’s green mantis in Peru, which creates an optical illusion resembling human legs.
Additional entries include Lynn Emery’s dual-focused owls in Dubai, Charles Janson’s play-fighting brown bears, and Heather Smith’s interaction between eastern grey kangaroos in Australia. The awards continue to draw submissions that highlight the quirky and entertaining behaviors of wildlife, from a sparrowhawk appearing to ballet in Scotland to a goldcrest staring fiercely at a camera in Germany.
Does anyone else think the frowning owl looks like it’s judging everyone? It’s my favorite entry so far.
I can’t believe the ‘Arctic mafia’ walruses are finalists. That description is spot on and so funny.
The giraffe with the umbrella acacia hat is absolutely hilarious. What perfect timing by the photographer!