A sexy mantis, a laughing hare, a chatty polar bear, and more! The post 17 of the funniest finalists in the 2026 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards appeared first on Upworthy.
It’s time again for one of Upworthy’s longest-running traditions: announcing the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards finalists.
The 2026 competition received over 10,000 entries from 112 countries and has been narrowed to 40 finalists, including a laughing hare, a “sexy” mantis, and a very angry goldcrest. The photographers are competing for the top prize—a once-in-a-lifetime safari with Alex Walker’s Serian in the Masai Mara. Other prizes include Nikon Z6III and Nikon Z50II cameras.
“The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards started very gently, somewhere out on the vast plains of the Serengeti. What began as a small effort to raise awareness of wildlife conservation has grown into something far bigger than we ever imagined,” Tom Sullam, the competition co-founder, said in a statement.
“The competition is now truly global, and a decade or so on, we want to make it even bigger, funnier, and more far-reaching than ever. We use humour to get people to feel empathy towards wildlife, and it’s that empathy that creates behavioural change for the better,” he continued.
Over the next few weeks, judges will review the photos and do their research to determine the winners, who will be announced on December 8 at an Awards Night in London.
You can see all 40 finalists here.
“When this water buffalo lifted her head, it looked like she had a fancy bonnet on, so we called her Doris!”
“In the spring of this year, I went with a friend to a spot that we knew had a healthy population of hares… Sure enough, there were a few hares in the field, and the grass was long enough to give them some cover and a nice backdrop for the photographs… I think the image shows just how relaxed this little fella was. It was a joy to watch them go about their activities, seemingly totally relaxed. This is what wildlife photography is all about for me!”
“These two subadult male Brown Bears are doing some play-fighting – practice sparring that will prepare them to engage in real fights with adult males. Although their swipes at each other can look dangerous, they are actually ‘friends’ (buddies that hang out with each other). It is very rare for one to injure the other seriously. There is debate about whether the facial expressions of these bears are at all equivalent to human smiles – but I like to think that they are.”
“I watched this bull in South Africa stroll toward a group with absolute confidence, until he got within twenty yards. Suddenly, the trunk went up, the eye went into hiding, and he executed a very slow, very awkward U-turn. We’ve all been there; he just happens to weigh six thousand kilos.”
“A tiny green mantis peeks over a leaf during a night walk in an area of Cusco, Peru, that is still waiting to be protected. I decided to enter this photograph because almost everyone I showed it to reacted the same way: they laughed immediately, even if they couldn’t quite explain why. At first, the mantis seems to be sunbathing, or perhaps striking a rather glamorous pose. But there is also a small visual trick: half of the insect is hidden behind the leaf. Its hind legs disappear from view and, suddenly, its enormous forelegs begin to look almost like a pair of human legs.”
“A polar bear contemplates an ivory gull in the pack ice north of Svalbard. Polar bears are opportunistic and will eat birds’ eggs when they find them. This bear must have wandered near a nest, as several ivory gulls harassed her for quite a while.”
“This image is one of many I got throughout a memorable morning in Samburu. This female spent much of the morning perching herself on different vantage points in search of her cub. She found the cub later on, capping a memorable day for us. It was like a documentary played out in front of our eyes. This day remains the highlight of that trip, as I am fascinated with leopards.”
“During my photo trip to the island of Helgoland, I encountered a goldcrest for the very first time—and it was love at first sight. Europe’s smallest bird wandered around on the ground right in front of me, presumably searching for food. To get an eye-level perspective, I placed my camera on the ground. My heart pounded, and my finger stayed glued to the shutter as the tiny bird darted back and forth every second. Suddenly, it stopped completely and looked straight into the camera. That was the exact moment this photo was taken.”
“A young Great Horned Owl had barely settled onto its perch before a protective squirrel launched a surprise aerial tackle, knocking it into the grass below. The most unbelievable part? The squirrel repeated the stunt twice more. The owl and squirrel were shaken up, but unharmed.”
“Welcome to Gold Harbour, South Georgia: nature’s most chaotic beach resort. It’s a breathtaking place with glaciers, mountains, and zero personal space.”
“Two Belgian beavers who have clearly decided that humans are no reason to interrupt their daily routine, and they even seemed happy to pose for the camera.”
“This caiman emerged from the water in an area with a lot of floating vegetation, and part of it remained on its head. It resembles a 1950s rock and roll hairstyle.”
“One cautious step at a time, this chameleon crossed the sandy ground as if every pebble were dangerously hot. With one hand raised and its most serious face on, it looked less like a reptile and more like a tiny green action hero. Camouflage was clearly not part of today’s plan.
“I went on a photography mission in Finland and my absolute dream species was the brown bear. After a few days of observing bears in the woods, I was lucky enough to encounter a family with 3 playful yearlings. They were all climbing up and down the trees, and one stopped for just a moment in this perfect pose. Pretty sure he knew it was for Instagram..un-bear-lieavable!”
“One meerkat insists on giving a last-minute grooming inspection while the others are trying their best to look respectable.”
“On a gentle sunlit afternoon, a little sunbird excitedly set off for a five-star spa deep in the forest. From afar, he spotted a ‘natural bathtub’—a bright red banana blossom, filled with cool water and plenty of sweet nectar.”