2023’s Funniest Wildlife Photos Prove Animals Are Top-Tier Natural Comedians
Air Guitar Roo; overall winner and winner of the Creatures of the Land category. Image © Jason Moore / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have once again brought some guffaws from the animal kingdom, with Jason Moore’s Air Guitar Roo hopping to the top spot as the overall champion. This playful depiction of a western gray kangaroo in Perth, Australia, beat more than 5,300 entries from 85 countries to the punch.
Moore’s reigning snapshot, taken during a serendipitous moment in the bushland, showcases the kangaroo in a pose reminiscent of an air guitar player, proving that wildlife can be just as rock ‘n’ roll as humans.
This year saw the closest call between contenders yet, with the competition proclaiming there was only “a whisker between the top images.” At the end of the day, “everybody loved this little Roo, intent on practicing her musical technique in the middle of a beautiful wildflower field in Australia,” the organizers recount.
The judges were undoubtedly tickled by the photo’s lighthearted portrayal, which they agreed captured the essence of what makes the Comedy Wildlife competition a real hoot—to spread conservation messages with a smile, rather than a growl, making the subject more palatable to a wider audience. The picture even bagged the top prize for the Creature of the Land category.
Dispute; winner of the Junior Award and Affinity Photo People’s Choice Award categories. Image © Jacek Stankiewicz / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
Young photographer Jacek Stankiewicz chirped in with his entry Dispute, featuring two greenfinches, and made the never-before-done swooping of another title on top of the Junior Award. The photo made the hearts of the people tweet, achieving the Affinity Photo People’s Choice Award too.
Unexpected Plunge; winner of the Creatures of the Air category. Image © Vittorio Ricci / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
Other winners include Vittorio Ricci, who captured a striated heron in Unexpected Plunge, and Otter Kwek, whose Otter Ballerina gracefully waltzed away with the Underwater Category award.
Otter Ballerina; winner of the Underwater category. Image © Otter Kwek / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
Timea Ambrus’s portfolio, featuring a ground squirrel in a series of nutty poses, grabbed the Portfolio Award, and Lily Bernau’s film Too Cold, about a penguin’s chilly predicament, won the Video Award.
I finally learnt to fly… or maybe not; winner of the Portfolio category. Images © Timea Ambrus / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
Too Cold; winner of the Video category. Video © Lily Bernau / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
These whimsical and wild moments captured on camera aren’t just here to gain the lion’s share of laughs, but they’re also a gentle reminder of the beauty and fragility of our natural world. As we giggle at these delightful creatures, let’s not forget the serious message behind the mirth: our planet and its inhabitants need our care and protection.
Fox with a Cigar. Image © Dakota Vaccaro / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
Snowball. Image © Jacques Poulard / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
The Happy Turtle. Image © Tzahi Finkelstein / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
The Rainforest Dandy. Image © Delphine Casimir / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
Don’t Look Down. Image © Brian Matthews / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
Look at Right Bro. Image © Pratick Mondal / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
Monday Blahs. Image © John Blumenkamp / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
One for the Family Album. Image © Zoe Ashdown / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
Boing. Image © Lara Mathews / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
That Wasn’t Here Yesterday. Image © Wendy Kaveney / Comedy Wildlife 2023, featured with permission
[via Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, images by various photographers and featured with permission]
This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been manually reviewed & edited.
