We could all probably use a reason to laugh after the unexpected year that 2020 has been thus far - look no further than the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.
This year 44 images made it to the finals in a contest that not only provides some comic-relief but aims to highlight the message of wildlife conservation, according to awards officials.
Some lucky photographers even caught animals acting funny on video. You can check out those videos in the video player above.
A panel of judges will choose the top image but there is a People’s Choice Award that allows the public to vote for their favorite photo.
The overall winners and category winners will be announced on Oct. 27.
Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards officials are hoping to raise awareness about conservation and encourage consumers to shop locally and responsibly while trying to “avoid buying un-recyclable products and one-use plastics/packaging.”
Officials are also encouraging the use of plant boxes in windowsills, only utilizing air-travel if it’s necessary and becoming a “wild influencer" which means you might not be a “mega activist” but you “really, really care about the environment and want to do something to help.”
Check out some of the 44 finalist photos below:
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The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020
Christina Holfelder
Munich
Germany
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Title: I could puke
Description: This picture was taken on the Falkland Islands at sunrise. A group of penguines went to the shore to go fishing when one stopped and vomitted.
Animal: Gentoo penguine
Location of shot: Falkland IslandsThe Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020 wei ping Peng
Sydney
Australia
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Title: So hot
Description: Monkeys soak in natural hot springs
Animal: Monkey
Location of shot: JapanThe Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020
Max Teo
Singapore
Singapore
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Title: It's the last day of school holidays
Description: Mother grooming pub during resting time.
Animal: Smooth-coated otter
Location of shot: SingaporeThe Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020
Yevhen Samuchenko
Odessa
Ukraine
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Title: The race
Description: My friends and I walked in the center of the small town of Hampi in India. There was a bicycle parking nearby. Suddenly a flock of langurs jumped on these bicycles and began to frolic. We were afraid to frighten them away, I started taking pictures from afar, but then we came very close to them and the langurs continued to play with bicycles
Animal: Langur
Location of shot: IndiaThe Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020
Krisztina Scheeff
Escondido
United States
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Title: Seriously, would you share some?
Description: Atlantic Puffins are amazing flyers and their fishing talents are - well - as you see some do better than others! I just love the second Puffin's look - can I just have one please?
Animal: Atlantic Puffin
Location of shot: Scotland, UKThe Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020
Tim Hearn
Bideford
United Kingdom
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Title: Hide and Seek
Description: As this Azure damselfly slowly woke up, he became aware of my presence. I was lined up to take a profile picture of his wings and body, but quite sensibly the damsel reacted to the human with the camera by putting the Marsh grass stem between me and it. I took the shot anyway. It was only later that I realised how characterful it was. And how much the damselfly looks like one of the muppets.
Animal: Azure Damselfly
Location of shot: Devon, UKNader Al-Shammari. How can I fly?The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020
Marcus Westberg
Ã…kersberga
Sweden
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Title: Boredom
Description: A silverback gorilla looks at his group of human visitors with something less than the enthusiasm they themselves were displaying during the encounter.
Animal: Mountain gorilla
Location of shot: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, UgandaParrot fish from El Hierro, Canary Islands... among a group of parrot fish I saw this one, with a crooked mouth, looking like it was smiling. I don't know if it was caused by a fishing hook, or just something hard that it tried to bite. I concentrated on it, and it took me several minutes until I got this frontal shot... and yes, it made my day!The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020
Luis MartÃ
Cancún
Mexico
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Title: Macaque Striking a Pose
Description: I was on Bali on vacations. We went to Uluwatu Temple and I saw this young macaque playing around and do silly things. Is like it was posing to the camera. Amazing little animals.
Animal: Macaque
Location of shot: Uluwatu Temple, Bali.Femke van Willigen - The Inside JokeThe Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020
Ramesh Letchmanan
Singapore
Singapore
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Title: I Am Champion
Description: A half-submerged snow monkey declares itself a champion by raising both hands in the air as a true winner.
Animal: Snow Monkey
Location of shot: Jigokudani Monkey Park, JapanThe raccoon was just waking up and stretching. We have a raccoon in this tree every so often, sometimes for a night and sometimes for a month.Pearl-Kasparian_No-Penguins-Under-HereI was swimming with this turtle at Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef when he flipped me the bird! OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAone of the most funniest behaviour i saw in nature. two brown bear cubs is "playing" with each other. one of them is crazy! just wanted to play with his brother and driving him crazy while his brother is tired of him and just looked at me with a "take him away from me" look.The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020
Kunal Gupta
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
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Title: Wait up mommy, look what I got for you!
Description: At the Kaziranga National Park, this elephant mother and calf seemed completely oblivious to our jeep and went about their stroll through the pond. The mom seemed to be giving her calf lessons on eating the hyacinth - select a lush green bunch, rip them out from the root, pound the stems against the their trunk to remove the mud and then swallow whole - the calf looked like she was thoroughly enjoying the lesson and duly followed her mothers every move. I stood transfixed as the lesson played out in front of us - stopping only to take a photo now and then - the pair occasionally glanced in our direction and must have been wondering what we were ooohing and aaahing about - this particularly photo is my favorite since it has the calf standing stuck to her mother with a trunk full of stems - I was lucky enough to take the shot just at the moment they seemed to give us an enormous smile. It was truly an unforgettable experience - on this trip we saw many of Kaziranga's treasures - One horned Rhino, Royal Bengal Tiger, plethora of gorgeous birds indigenous to this region, yet somehow the simple sight of watching this giant creature preparing her child for the world seemed to stand out and left us all with a remarkable feeling of having experienced nature at it's purest.
Animal: Elephant and calf
Location of shot: Kaziranga, India
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020
Christina Holfelder
Munich
Germany
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Title: I could puke
Description: This picture was taken on the Falkland Islands at sunrise. A group of penguines went to the shore to go fishing when one stopped and vomitted.
Animal: Gentoo penguine
Location of shot: Falkland Islands
