Dirk Koster – The different one
Comedy wildlife photography award finalists 2026 – in pictures
A caiman wearing a wig, two brown bears laughing and a leopard doing a handstand feature in the selection of finalists from this year’s Nikon Comedy Wildlife awards. Winners will be announced on 8 December
Dirk Koster – The different one. Photograph: Dirk Koster/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Sat 3 Oct 2026 01.00 EDT
Dirk Koster – The different one ‘I took this in 2025 in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, in the Oltepesi area. Three young giraffes were standing side by side on the savanna and looked back at me with great curiosity. Right behind the middle one stood a single umbrella acacia, perfectly lined up with its head and neck. The giraffe seemed to be wearing the tree, like a green hairdo or a fancy hat. Nothing was staged or arranged; it was a matter of being in the right spot at the right moment’ Photograph: Dirk Koster/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Lee Frost – Nature’s window Azure damselfly ( Coenagrion puella ) Stoke-on-Trent, UK‘May, 6am, and I was about to head home after photographing insects as they warmed up for the day. This sleepy damselfly had slowly climbed a blade of grass, so I gently placed it on a leaf for one last portrait. Instead of posing politely, it disappeared behind the leaf, popped its head through a readymade window, and as I pressed the shutter... gave me a cheerful wave. Clearly, someone wanted the last laugh!’ Photograph: Lee Frost/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Fabi Fregonesi – Did I sleep past my alarm? ‘Behind the comical face is a story of extreme underwater patience. This blenny in Curaçao was hidden inside a tiny, camouflaged tube on the reef, and it opened its mouth to feed for a split second. To transform this moment into a highly precise wildlife encounter, it took multiple targeted dives. Exact timing was crucial to catch the fish’s sharp expression within its natural environment, showing that the smallest ocean residents often have the biggest personalities’ Photograph: Fabi Fregonesi/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Andy Rouse – Doris in her hat An Asian water buffalo surfaces from Lake Kumana, Sri Lanka, wearing a bonnet of flowers.‘When this water buffalo lifted her head up, it looked like she had a fancy bonnet on so we called her Doris!’ Photograph: Andy Rouse/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Hannah Deitl – Cheeky little elephant ‘I was on a trip to South Africa last year and we saw this little elephant messing around with his friend. So, of course, I had to get the perfect shot of this cheeky little elephant’ Photograph: Hannah Deitl/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Marek Jackowski – Sea gangsters ‘During my expedition to Svalbard archipelago in autumn 2024, I visited Moffen Island. There were a couple of groups of walruses resting on the beach who were very relaxed, lying next to each other, presumably to conserve body heat in the freezing Arctic temperatures. These animals are incredibly social, frequently lounging in large, tightly packed herds. I was enjoying a majestic Arctic sunrise, when the local mafia decided to roll up on me – and spent 10 minutes giving me the ultimate Arctic inspection before swimming off’ Photograph: Marek Jackowski/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Celine Nic Oireachtaigh – Zonkling ‘I’m an amateur photographer in West Offaly, Ireland, capturing the wildlife that lives in our local boglands and wetlands. I spotted this brood of greylag goslings at Finnamore Lakes earlier this year. They are a regular sight in April and May, and after a swim in the lake, they snuggled down together in a fuzzy puddle. I took this from behind a gorse bush so as not to disturb their nap! While the goslings snooze, their parents keep watch, making sure nobody comes too close to their babies’ Photograph: Celine Nic Oireachtaigh/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Ka Chun Jacky – Resting owl face Mountain scops owl, Nanling national forest park, China‘This photo was taken during a birding trip in March with my friends. Amid the total darkness of the forest, a little owl flew silently and perched on a branch in front of us before it started to sing. Not wanting to waste this opportunity, we did nothing but take burst shots of this cute creature before it flew off, aided only by the dim light of our torches’ Photograph: Ka Chun Jacky/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Diego Perez – Sexy mantis ‘A tiny green mantis peeks over a leaf during a night walk in an area of Camanti, Cusco, Peru, that is still waiting to be protected. I entered this photograph because almost everyone I showed it to laughed immediately, even if they could not quite explain why. At first, the mantis seems to be sunbathing, or perhaps striking a glamorous pose. But there is also a small visual trick: half of the insect is hidden behind the leaf. Suddenly, its forelegs begin to look almost like a pair of human legs’ Photograph: Diego Perez/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Lynn Emery – Two birds one vision ‘Two little owls stand side by side during sunset in Dubai’s al-Qudra desert. Whilst one is focused on the sunset, the other is focused on me, creating a weird and wonderful image’ Photograph: Lynn Emery/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Charles Janson – Bears sharing a laugh ‘These two subadult, male brown bears are play-fighting – practice sparring that will prepare them to engage in real fights with adult males. Although their swipes can look dangerous, they are actually ‘friends’ (buddies that hang out with each other). It is rare for one to seriously injure the other. There is debate about whether the bears’ facial expressions are equivalent to human smiles – but I like to think they are’ Photograph: Charles Janson/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Heather Smith – Busted – portfolio category ‘These are eastern grey kangaroos, found on the east coast of Australia. They were in Crowdy Bay national park at a camp ground near Diamond Head, on the mid-north coast of NSW. There are huge numbers of kangaroos here, and they are very used to people being in their space. This interaction happened right in front of me, albeit I was keeping a safe distance using a 100-400mm lens’ Photograph: Heather Smith/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Andy Parkinson – Hercules, the baboon An infant olive baboon appears to demonstrate enormous strength by holding an adult above its head in Mara North Conservancy, Kenya Photograph: Andy Parkinson/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Robert Nairn – Ballet dancer A sparrowhawk in Dumfries, Scotland. ‘I am 69, an amateur photographer and a member of Ayr photographic society. I enjoy wildlife photography and was inspired by David Bailey and bought an Olympus OM1 in 1978. However, having four children I did not return to more serious photography until after I retired. This image was taken in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, with a Nikon z8 and 100-400 mm lens.” Photograph: Robert Nairn/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Jan Wittmer – Angry bird ‘During my photo trip to the island of Helgoland, Germany, I encountered a goldcrest for the first time – and it was love at first sight. Europe’s smallest bird wandered right in front of me, presumably searching for food. To get a perspective at eye level, I placed my camera on the ground. My heart was pounding and my finger was glued to the shutter as the tiny bird darted back and forth. Suddenly, it came to a stop and looked straight at the camera. That was the exact moment this photo was taken’ Photograph: Jan Wittmer/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Kyo Chen – A very pressured spadefish In the waters of Dumaguete, Philippines, a spadefish swims ahead of a giant whale shark.‘This was taken in Oslob, Cebu, on my first diving experience in the Philippines. My friends and I had returned to the same location for four consecutive days to spend time with whale sharks. While waiting for a whale shark one morning, I started photographing a lively group of spadefish. Suddenly, the enormous silhouette of a whale shark appeared directly behind one of them’ Photograph: Kyo Chen/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Eric Boren – If I were just a little bit faster... A polar bear contemplates an ivory gull in the pack ice north of Svalbard, Norway. ‘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 a while. I captured a number of images, including some where the gull appeared to be guiding the bear through the pack ice or traveling alongside her as a companion. The bear lay down and the gull landed nearby, allowing me to capture this photo of the two seeming to contemplate each other’ Photograph: Eric Boren/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Paolo Torre – Elvis A caiman in Pantanal, Brazil. ‘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’n’roll hairstyle’ Photograph: Paolo Torre/Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Alexander Hormann – Runny nose – portfolio category ‘One August morning in 2025, my sister, my wife and I were getting ready for a kayaking trip across Maligne Lake in Alberta, Canada, when we spotted a large animal swimming through the lake. I followed its movements from the shore until it came out of the water and revealed itself to be a female moose. She stopped in the shallows to dive for aquatic plants and I lay down at the water’s edge, trying to capture the splashing action and the way the moose shook the water from her coat’ Photograph: Alexander Hormann/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Jeremy Richards – Acrobatic bullfrog – portfolio category ‘Taken in South Luangwa national park, Zambia. The African bullfrogs emerged after a heavy overnight downpour from their underground cocoons or burrows where they had been seeing out the dry season, and set about mating in one of the water-filled muddy scrapes. The colourful males seek to attract the smaller brown-coloured females, but as there are more males than females, competition is fierce. The male frog doing acrobatics has been pummelled out of the pool by a larger rival’ Photograph: Jeremy Richards/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Homi Sahana – The handstand A leopard in Samburu national reserve, Kenya‘This image is one of many I took throughout a morning in Samburu. This female spent much of the morning perching on different vantage points in search of her cub. She found the cub later on, capping a memorable day. It was like a documentary played out in front of our eyes and remains the highlight of that trip as I am fascinated with leopards’ Photograph: Homagni Sahana/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
Thong Duy Vu – Out of water ‘ On a gentle sunlit afternoon, a little sunbird set off for a five-star spa deep in the forest. From afar, he spotted a bright red banana blossom, filled with cool water and sweet nectar. He landed on the blossom and savoured the nectar. After his treat, he hopped into the “tub” and began to enjoy the refreshing water. He tilted his head this way, stretched his wings that way, and wagged his tail, sending droplets splashing all over his body’ Photograph: Thong Duy Vu/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026
