10 funniest wildlife photos of the year 2024

It is that time of the year when you can just sit back and let the animals humor you. The Comedy Wildlife Awards recently announced the finalists for this year. In an official statement, the organizers said, “a cracking collection of amazing, jaw-dropping, and laugh-out-loud photos of some of the most incredible wildlife that we share this planet with.” The 40 shortlisted photos include some of the quirkiest and funniest-looking animals. The photographs are a testament to the skills of the photographers, who captured these moments and froze them in time. Let’s take a look at some of these pictures that might just make your day.

Image Credit: Artur Stankiewicz

​Artur Stankiewicz

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​Artur Stankiewicz

This image, captured by Charles Janson, shows an otter floating on its back that appeared to the photographer as if it were praying. Otters are some of the cutest creatures on this planet, often going viral for their quirky habits.

This nutria was captured by Christopher Arnold while grooming itself. The nutria seems to be holding its head as if it has realized something really heartbreaking. Nutria are amphibious rodents found in South America.

This image shows a newborn seal laughing at something. Pinnipeds, commonly known as seals, are widely distributed carnivorous, semi-aquatic mammals found in marine environments, especially in freshwaters.

This funny image shows a raccoon sharing a secret with its friend, while a third raccoon stares directly at the camera. These nocturnal creatures can be found throughout the world, from North and South America to Asia.

Photographer Jörn Clausen took this image in 2015 during a visit to the Farne Islands in the UK. The image shows two Atlantic puffins, native to the Atlantic Ocean, seemingly engaged in a serious conversation.

This ground squirrel, also known as a zeisel, was calling out to its family that it had found food. The small squirrel holds the leaves of a yellow flower, which is visible in the image. Squirrels are native to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and were introduced to Australia by humans.

Leslie McLeod captured this image of a female cheetah leaving scent messages for a potential partner on various trees while on safari in Kenya. However, the cheetah looks as if it's hiding and is just about to surprise someone by jumping out.

Captured on the ice off the coast of Rausu, Japan, this eagle looks like it’s skating on ice with impeccable concentration. Steller’s sea eagles are the largest and most powerful of all eagles.

This gentleman looks like a model fit for the cover of a magazine. This gecko was captured in the Namib Desert and can be found almost anywhere on Earth except Antarctica. Unlike most lizards, geckos can vocalize with chirps and barking noises.

The image appears as if the middle bear is trying to calm a fight between two other polar bears. Polar bears are native to the Arctic region and surrounding areas. They are known to communicate with each other through body language, vocalizations, and scent markings.

This image is amongst the finalist in the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. The squirrel was going inside his hole, when the photographer clicked this picture. It looks as if the creatures entry was blocked with his hind legs hanging behind.