adorably hilarious winners of the 2019 comedy wildlife photography awards

Our domestic pets make us laugh on a daily basis, but animals in the wild can have their funny moments, too. Now in its 5th year, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards recently announced the hilarious winning photos for 2019. The funny images were chosen from over 4,000 entries from 68 different countries, revealing that silly playfulness is universal amongst animals.

The annual contest is run in collaboration with The Born Free Foundation, a charity that helps to “Keep Wildlife in the Wild.” The organizers aim to highlight the importance of wildlife conservation through comedic moments of these free roaming animals, encouraging people to do what they can so that future generations can enjoy these beautiful creatures, too.

The title of Overall Winner went to photographer Sarah Skinner, who captured a hilarious moment between a lion cub and an adult lion in Botswana, titled Grab life by the…! “As the male stood and started walking off, one of the young cubs, who is blind in one eye ran toward the male, leaping up toward him,” Skinner recalls. “Rather than leaping onto his back as we expected, the cub’s focus instead appeared to be directed toward be the adult male’s nether regions, with claws fully protracted!”

Skinner’s prizes include a safari in the Maasai Mara in Kenya, along with the unique handmade trophy from the Wonder Workshop in Tanzania, an Airport Advantage bag from THINK TANK, and an iPad preloaded with the Affinity Photo’s award-winning software. “It certainly warms my heart to know that this image will spread some laughter and happiness around the world,” she says. “I am happy to report that this cub continues to thrive in the pride, having seen her again in October this year.”

Other winning photos include a shocked otter by Harry Walker, a pair of bickering birds by Vlado Pirsa, and a surfing penguin by Elmar Weiss. There’s even a 4-part photo series titled First Comes Love by Elaine Kruer—it captures the love story of two Cape Squirrels in South Africa who seemingly went on a journey from courtship to a wedding!

Check out this year’s hilarious winning photos below and find out more about the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards online.