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These Animals Make Us Laugh!

Check out the finalists for the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.
Vegetation on a caiman’s head makes it look like it is wearing a toupee.

© Paolo Torre/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Paolo Torre’s photo shows a caiman with vegetation on its head that looks like hair.

If an animal has ever made you laugh, you’re not alone. The annual Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards honors the funniest animal moments on the planet and the photographers who share them. This year’s contest finalists include everything from a grumpy owl to a toothy caiman wearing an unintentional wig.

The contest rules invite people from around the world to enter up to 10 still photos and two videos of wild animals. There’s a category for mammals, one for birds, one for aquatic (water) animals, and one that includes reptiles, amphibians, and insects. There are also categories for photographers under age 25 and under age 16. The portfolio category invites photographers to send in a collection of four photos that can all be related. Finally, the video category is for short video clips.

A series of four images show a frog in the process of flipping in the air as another frog watches in the background.

© Jeremy Richards/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards; Photo composite Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

This photo series, by Jeremy Richards, shows two male frogs fighting. But one of the frogs looks like it’s doing flips in the air for fun.

The purpose of the contest is to raise awareness about wildlife and encourage conservation, or protection. Many animal and plant species face threats that could lead to their extinction, or disappearance. These include pollution, hunting, and habitat loss.

“Comedy Wildlife was born from the need for a wildlife photography competition that was light-hearted…and importantly, could make a difference to animals and our natural world,” says the contest website. “[Laughter is] a uniquely effective tool to engage audiences of all ages and cultures with images of creatures they may never be able to see for themselves—and that the world could lose forever.” 

This year’s contest received about 10,000 entries from 112 countries. The winners will be announced in December. Meanwhile, click through the slideshow to check out more of the finalists!

A lion uses a front paw to push a seated lion toward the ground.
Barbara Seiberl-Stark took this photo of two lions having fun in Zimbabwe.
Two brown bears stand on their hind legs on grassy ground and paw at each other.
It looks like the two young bears in Charles Janson’s photo are laughing together. In fact, they were play-fighting.
A mantis sits on a leaf with its front limbs behind it and looks at the camera.
Diego Perez took this photo of a mantis lounging on a leaf.
Three giraffes stand in the savanna facing the camera. The leaves of a tree rise above the head of the center giraffe.
The giraffe in the center of Dirk Koster’s photo looks like it’s wearing a fancy hat.
A golden bird stands on the ground and looks at the camera with an expression that appears to be angry.
The Angry Birds video games and movies could have been inspired by this photo, taken by Jan Wittmer.
An owl is perched on a tree branch and looks at the camera with an expression that appears to be grumpy.
Ka Chun’s photo of a grumpy owl was taken in China.
A meerkat has its front paw on the head of another meerkat as a third meerkat stands next to them.
“Can you fix my hair?” one of the meerkats in Subi Sridharan’s photo seems to be asking.
A squirrel with a lot of grass in its mouth stands on its hind legs and holds up its front legs.
The squirrel in Udo Harms’ photo took a big bite of grass. Maybe it was too much!

© Barbara Seiberl-Stark/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, © Charles Janson/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, © Diego Perez/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, © Dirk Koster/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, © Jan Wittmer/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, © Ka Chun Jacky/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, © Subi Sridharan/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, © Udo Harms/Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

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Did You Know?

Closeup of a caiman hatchling inside the mouth of its mother.

© Mark MacEwen—Nature Picture Library/Alamy

A female caiman is a caring mother. She builds a protective nest for her eggs, then carries the babies to the water in her mouth. She stays with them until they are large enough to take care of themselves.

100,000 100-Year-Olds

An older woman smiles and holds up a framed certificate that is written in Japanese.

© Yuriko Nakao/Getty Images

Japanese people who reach the age of 100 receive a special gift from the country’s prime minister, or leader.

It’s still not that common to live to be over 100 years old. Yet Japan just announced that more than 100,000 members of its population are 100 years or older. It’s the first country to reach that milestone.

Japan has 107,677 centenarians (people age 100 or over). That’s up from 99,763 last year. Almost 88 percent of Japan’s centenarians are women. Japan’s oldest woman, Fuyo Kishimoto, is 114 years old. The country’s oldest man, Hikaru Kato, is 112. 

Japanese Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno credited Japan’s healthy diet, plus improved medical technology, for the increased number of 100-year-olds.

No Place Like Home

A polar bear lies on ice and its thought bubble shows an unhappy polar bear on a sunny beach wearing an inner tube.

© fizke7, mar_mite_/stock.adobe.com; Photo illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

A cobra couldn’t stand a snowy tundra any more than a polar bear could hang out on a hot beach. Why is an animal’s habitat so important to its survival? You can learn more at Britannica!

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waggish

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adjective

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“In the News: These Animals Make Us Laugh!.” Britannica School, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 18 Oct. 2026. https://news.eb.com/level1/these-animals-make-us-laugh. Accessed 19 Oct 2026 [Replace this date with today’s date.]