Funniest wild animal photos of 2024

The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards reveal hilarious wildlife photos. The entries were selected from 9,000 entries from 98 countries around the world.

Hold On For A Ride: The photo shows the mother brown bear after a nap wanting to go for a walk, but the cubs want to be carried by her. (Photo: Alexander Fine).

Love: The author captured the moment two bears were cuddling in Sitka, Alaska (USA). (Photo: Andrea Rosado).

England Cricket's New Secret Weapon: This photo was taken of a dancing sifaka in Madagascar. It ran towards the photographer and made a lot of funny faces. However, this moment is the best. It looks like it's practicing its pitching for the England cricket team. (Photo: Andy Rouse)

Hey, Get Out of My Way - This Is My Bird !: This photo was taken in South Georgia. The author writes. "The photo actually shows a male king penguin trying to approach a female who is already mated. The other male's body position and wing spread sends a very clear message: Get out of my way!" (Photo: Andy Rouse).

I'm Too Beautiful to Love!: The hippo looks like he just stepped out of the hair salon with a big smile on his face. (Photo: Artur Stankiewicz).

Thinking Chimpanzee: The author captured an image of a chimpanzee in Uganda, which he said appeared to be "contemplating an important issue". (Photo: Arvind Mohandas).

Zen Otter : "Sitting in my kayak with my camera precariously perched on the edge of the boat, I remained perfectly still as I passed this resting sea otter. He was relaxed (you could tell because he was still lying on his back in the water) and continued to groom his fur. With his peaceful face and upturned hands, he reminded me of a Zen monk meditating," the author writes. (Photo: Charles Janson).

Prayer : This otter holds food with its front paws, making it appear as if it is praying. (Photo: Christine Haines).

It's Monday Again: The author took this photo when he saw a beaver right on the canoe. And it was busy taking care of itself. (Photo: Christopher Arnold).

Cold Water Bath: This doe stood up on her hind legs to pick leaves from a tree to eat. Once she got back on all fours, she suddenly dropped the branch and received a cold water bath over her head. (Photo: Corentin Revel).

Gray Tern's Hard Landing: The author captured the moment a gray tern landed awkwardly on a rock in Bulgaria. (Photo: Damyan Petkov).

Frog in a Bubble: "During a photo shoot at a lake, I discovered this frog with its head stuck in a water bubble," the photographer writes. (Photo: Eberhard Ehmke).

Pavarotti of the Owls: "This area has always been a nesting ground for barn owls, so I visit often. When I saw this photo on my computer, it looked like the little owl was singing its heart out, which reminded me of Pavarotti ," the author revealed. (Photo: Fred Amico).

Smiling Elephant Seals : These multi-ton giants fight to protect their female pod. (Photo: Gabriel Rojo).

I'm Coming: This photo captures the moment alca seabirds watch one of their flock attempt a wobbly landing. (Photo: Inés Godínez).

Laughing Out Loud: This baby seal looks like he's having a good laugh at a good joke. (Photo: Ingo Hamann).

I'll Tell You a Secret: A baby raccoon whispers a secret into its mother's ear. (Photo: Jan Piecha).

Where Do You Think You're Going? : "This photo was taken in 2015 during my first visit to the Farne Islands in the UK. The islands were filled with puffins, kittiwakes, cormorants, auks and guillemots. Never before, and never since, have I taken so many photos in such a short period of time ," the author shared. (Photo: Jörn Clausen).

Flamenca Mantis: The photographer lay down on the side of the road to take this photo of a Flamenca mantis raising its arms in a dancing pose. (Photo: Jose Miguel Gallego Molina).

Zeisel's Song: This photo captures the moment a ground squirrel, also known as a zeisel, calls to its mates after finding food. (Photo: Kath Aggiss).

Shy Frog : "I asked this frog to smile for the camera, but it seemed a bit shy," the photographer shared. (Photo: Kingston Tam).

Hide and Seek : "We were on safari in Kenya and came across a female leopard looking for a mate. A herd of topi were also watching her intently as she left signs in the trees for potential mates. This photo reminded me of the leopard about to shout, 'Done, here I come!'" the author writes. (Photo: Leslie McLeod).

Are You Kidding Me?: The author captured the moment two Cape fur seals were laughing happily with each other. (Photo: Marti Phillips).

Squirrel Trapped: This photo shows a squirrel with its legs sticking out of a hole in a tree trunk. (Photo: Milko Marchetti).

"Calm Down, Guys: "Hajime!" This is the term used by judo referees to invite opponents to start a match. In this photo, the standing bear appears to be saying this to the other two bears, demonstrating the gesture referees often make when saying this word. (Photo: Philippe Ricordel).

The Penguin Gang: "On the penguin trail, these rockhoppers are coming into town. Of course, the town isn't big enough for all of them!" , the humorous author shares. (Photo: Ralph Robinson).

She's Not My Mother!: This female red-bellied woodpecker has been surveying an American screech owl nest for several days. The little owlet was clearly startled and didn't know what to think of this intruder. (Photo: Randy Herman).

Rock Star : This female lizard stands up straight to avoid the summer heat. (Photo: Sanjay Patil).

Nagging Is Global: The photographer took this photo while on safari in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. "I printed it out and hung it on my wall at home, and everyone who saw it laughed," the photographer said. (Photo: Scott Frier).

Mafia Boss: This flying squirrel looks like it's "smoking a cigar" like a mafia boss. (Photo: Takashi Kubo.)

Time to Cool Down: An Adelie penguin stands guard over her chick as it lies flat on a rock to cool down. Due to the thick insulation, chicks sometimes overheat and spread their legs on the rock to cool down. (Photo: Zikri Teo)