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PHOTOS: Finalists For The 2016 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

By Rebecca Hersher
Published October 21, 2016 at 11:05 AM MDT
A tough day at the office for this fox in Yellowstone National Park in December 2015.<br /><br /><br /><br />
1 of 11  — A tough day at the office for this fox in Yellowstone National Park in December 2015.
A tough day at the office for this fox in Yellowstone National Park in December 2015.



A snowy owl looks very content in the Canadian province of Ontario.
2 of 11  — A snowy owl looks very content in the Canadian province of Ontario.
A snowy owl looks very content in the Canadian province of Ontario.
Portrait of an unfortunate buffalo in Meru National Park, Kenya, in July.<br /><br /><br />
3 of 11  — Portrait of an unfortunate buffalo in Meru National Park, Kenya, in July.
Portrait of an unfortunate buffalo in Meru National Park, Kenya, in July.


Bighorn rams exhibiting attitudes during the rut, Gardiner, Mont., in December 2014.<br /><br />
4 of 11  — Bighorn rams exhibiting attitudes during the rut, Gardiner, Mont., in December 2014.
Bighorn rams exhibiting attitudes during the rut, Gardiner, Mont., in December 2014.

A nosy bald eagle peeks out from behind the rocks to check out what photographer William Saunders is up to, Cordova, Ala.<br /><br />
5 of 11  — A nosy bald eagle peeks out from behind the rocks to check out what photographer William Saunders is up to, Cordova, Ala.
A nosy bald eagle peeks out from behind the rocks to check out what photographer William Saunders is up to, Cordova, Ala.

A pelican looks distraught as it drops a fish thrown to it by a fisherman in Kerkini Lake, Greece.
6 of 11  — A pelican looks distraught as it drops a fish thrown to it by a fisherman in Kerkini Lake, Greece.
A pelican looks distraught as it drops a fish thrown to it by a fisherman in Kerkini Lake, Greece.
A mother and son leopard pair have a playful fight in Singita Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa, in May 2013.<br /><br /><br />
7 of 11  — A mother and son leopard pair have a playful fight in Singita Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa, in May 2013.
A mother and son leopard pair have a playful fight in Singita Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa, in May 2013.


A bear appears to have wings growing from its head in September 2015.<br /><br /><br />
8 of 11  — A bear appears to have wings growing from its head in September 2015.
A bear appears to have wings growing from its head in September 2015.


This bataleur had been preening itself for three hours in the sun before taking off in Singita National Park, South Africa, in March 2013.
9 of 11  — This bataleur had been preening itself for three hours in the sun before taking off in Singita National Park, South Africa, in March 2013.
This bataleur had been preening itself for three hours in the sun before taking off in Singita National Park, South Africa, in March 2013.
A wild owl appears to be marching in a very serious manner, Lancashire, U.K., in June 2011.<br /><br /><br />
10 of 11  — A wild owl appears to be marching in a very serious manner, Lancashire, U.K., in June 2011.
A wild owl appears to be marching in a very serious manner, Lancashire, U.K., in June 2011.


This meerkat looks as though it just remembered it needed to be somewhere, Little Karoo, South Africa, in May 2015.
11 of 11  — This meerkat looks as though it just remembered it needed to be somewhere, Little Karoo, South Africa, in May 2015.
This meerkat looks as though it just remembered it needed to be somewhere, Little Karoo, South Africa, in May 2015.

The 2016 finalists for the second annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have been announced, and they are predictably delightful.

A grinning owl. A fish slapping a bear in the face. An unfortunate interaction between a buffalo and a bird. At least two eagles with very little dignity. Click through the slideshow for a selection of the finalists.

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards were established last year by a wildlife conservation organization. The group's website says it is "a photography competition that was light-hearted, upbeat, possibly unpretentious and mainly about wildlife doing funny things."

There are 18 rules and guidelines for entrants into the competition, which judges both the technical excellence of images and the hilarity of the accompanying caption (so make sure to read the captions in the slideshow).

Rule No. 6 for entrants begins, "You must have taken the picture yourself within the last 99 years."

Rule No. 8 limits the photos to wildlife, so no "pets, domestic, farm or captive animals."

And Rule No. 9 bans any major digital alterations, so the images haven't been Photoshopped to look funny.

The winners are expected to be announced next month. You can see all the finalists here, and last year's winners — including this blissful seal — right here.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Rebecca Hersher
Rebecca Hersher (she/her) is a reporter on NPR's Science Desk, where she reports on outbreaks, natural disasters, and environmental and health research. Since coming to NPR in 2011, she has covered the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, embedded with the Afghan army after the American combat mission ended, and reported on floods and hurricanes in the U.S. She's also reported on research about puppies. Before her work on the Science Desk, she was a producer for NPR's Weekend All Things Considered in Los Angeles.
See stories by Rebecca Hersher