The shortlist for the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has landed, and it delivers exactly what the name promises: animals behaving like people you'd meet in a pub. The competition, running annually since 2015 and now backed by Nikon, has just announced its 2026 finalists, with winners to be named on December 8. And there's a twist — you get a say.
The awards aren't just for a laugh, at least not officially. The organisers' stated mission is conservation through humour, on the theory that you protect what you love, and you come to love what makes you smile. It's a fair point. Glossy wildlife photography tends to crown the whales and the eagles, magnificent animals that feel a bit distant from most of us. But a daft-looking bird or a hapless frog? That's the animal kingdom at eye level, and that's where the emotional connection — and arguably the conservation money — gets made.
The 2026 shortlist has some genuine highlights. In Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, photographer Jeremy Richard caught the exact moment an African bullfrog went airborne, flung over the head of a bewildered rival by some unseen amphibian drama we can only guess at. On the pack ice off Svalbard, Eric Boren photographed a polar bear lying beside a small ivory gull, apparently in peaceful reflection rather than predatory intent — a remarkably tender scene from an animal usually cast as the villain.
Elephants feature three times among the finalists, the strongest single-species showing this year. One standout, by Shailza Singhal, uses forced perspective to make an elephant appear 30 metres tall — momentarily rewriting the food chain. And then there's the caiman wearing a hat. That's all we know. That's all we need.
Here's where it matters for you: the STERNA People's Choice Award is decided entirely by public vote, so anyone can jump online and back their favourite finalist before the December 8 announcement. Voting takes minutes, it's free, and it's a rare case where your click actually counts for something in the wildlife photography world. The full gallery of finalists is well worth a browse too, whether you're in it for the conservation angle or just need ten minutes of mental health maintenance.
If the 2026 images whet your appetite, past editions are easily found — the 2025 crop, in particular, has aged well. And for travellers who fancy a shot at next year's shortlist, the locations in this year's entries are a decent itinerary starter: South Luangwa is one of Africa's finest walking-safari parks, and Svalbard's pack ice delivers polar bears, ivory gulls and long summer daylight if you can stomach the price tag.
The winners are announced December 8. Get your vote in for the caiman. Or, if you must, someone else.
Original story via ExplorersWeb.
