Zany polar bears and a '3-headed' giraffe star in Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

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Nikon release its best entries so far for the Comedy Wildlife Awards 2024.

Two polar bears, one with its mouth wide open and another with its paw on its head
Two polar bears (Ursus maritimus) appear engaged in a joyous conversation. (Image credit: ©Wendy-Kaveney/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards)

From polar bears cracking jokes to a grizzly bear mama sick of giving piggy-back rides, Nikon reveals its best entries so far for the Comedy Wildlife Awards 2024. 

Not a good idea

A small cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) sits poised ready to grab at a male buffalo's (Syncerus caffer) genitals. (Image credit: ©Anton Pretorius/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards)

Don't do it!

In this photo named "Not a Good idea", a small cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) sits poised ready to grab at a male buffalo's (Syncerus caffer) genitals. This photo was captured in the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in South Africa by photographer Anton Pretorius.

Three's A Crowd

In this comically sad image taken in Antarctica, a lonesome chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) looks upset at seeing his penguin buddies walk away. (Image credit: ©Deena Sveinsson/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards)

In this comically sad image taken in Antarctica,  a lonesome chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) looks upset at  seeing his penguin buddies walk away.

"I couldn't help but laugh when I viewed this photo (on) the back of my camera. How humanlike. And how awful it must be to be that third wheel," photographer Deena Sveinsson said in a statement describing the image. 

Related: Catspreading 'Big Boss' among finalists of Comedy Pet Photography Awards

Did You Hear the One About The....?

Two polar bears, one with its mouth wide open and another with its paw on its head. (Image credit: ©Wendy-Kaveney/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards)

In this photo, two polar bears (Ursus maritimus) appear engaged in a joyous conversation. From their animated expressions it seems one polar bear has grown tired of a friend's lame jokes, while the other has its mouth wide open bursting out in laughter.

This photograph was captured by Wendy-Kaveney in Canada.

Laughing outloud

Photographer Ingo Hamann captured this seal in Germany. (Image credit: ©Ingo Hamann/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards)

In Germany, photographer Ingo Hamann captured this seal (Pinnipedia) having the best time of its life as it appears to be laughing out loud.

Holding on for a ride

In Alaska, a mother brown bear (Ursus arctos) and her cubs are photgraphed. (Image credit: ©Alexander Fine/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards)

At Alaska's Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, photographer Alexander Fine captures two brown bear cubs (Ursus arctos) trying to hitch a ride on their mother's back.

Watch out For That Tree

This quick shot is named "Watch out For That Tree!" taken by Mark Koster. (Image credit: ©Mark Koster/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards)

In this quick shot named "Watch out For That Tree!" taken by Mark Koster, a mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) caught mid-flight appears to be running into a tree at Chaparral Park in Scottsdale, Arizona, but is actually flying behind it.

Three heads are better than one

This perfectly timed shot captures three giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) appearing to come from a single body. (Image credit: ©John Mullineux/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards)

A photo that may trick the eyes. This perfectly timed shot captures three giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) appearing to come from a single body. This was taken by photographer John Mullineux shortly after watching the giraffes fighting with each other in the Green Kalahari desert in South Africa.

Slow hands

Photographer Harry Collins fittingly named this image after Eric Clapton's nickname, "Slowhand" (Image credit: ©Harry Collins/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards)

A three-toed sloth (Bradypus species) is caught hanging from a tree while striking a pose in what is possibly the slowest-ever played air-guitar.

Photographer Harry Collins fittingly named this image after Eric Clapton's nickname, "Slowhand" — a name given to him by the manager of the band, Giorgio Gomelsky, after an audience broke out into a slow hand clap while Clapton was replacing a broken guitar string during a performance.

Peak A Boo!

A camera-shy white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) photographed by Tilan Weerasinghe. (Image credit: ©Tilan Weerasinghe/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards)

In this photo, a camera-shy white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) seems to be saying "no pictures please!" It was taken by Tilan Weerasinghe in the city of Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Pick me, pick meeeeee!

A sea turtle appears eager to answer a question by raising its fin. (Image credit: ©Thomas van puymbroeck/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards)

In this image a sea turtle appears eager to answer a question by raising its fin. 

"Who wants to live in a plastic free ocean? Meeeee," photographer Thomas Van Puymbroeck said to describe the image in the statement.

Elise Poore
Elise Poore
Editorial assistant

Elise studied marine biology at the University of Portsmouth in the U.K. She has worked as a freelance journalist focusing on the aquatic realm.