Wildlife can be beautiful, mysterious and, at times, just plain funny! Each year, Bored Panda hosts a “Funniest Wildlife Photos” competition in order to raise awareness about wildlife conservation. The competition began in 2015 and has since attracted some of the best professional and amateur photographers who want to showcase their work…and the results are always hilarious!
Though penguins going to church and polar bear babies trying to hitch a ride from their mamas are bound to make you laugh out loud, the founders the competition urge you to always keep the cause at the forefront of your mind. Once you’re done getting a good laugh in, head on over to the born free website and spread the word about wildlife conservation. You can also investigate what you can do to lend a helping hand.
That said, let’s not forget why you came here, and scroll down to see the 14 winners of this year’s competition and a few stellar nominations from this year and last:
1. The “Cheering Sea Otter,” Highly Commended
2. “WTF” by George Cathcart, Highly Commended
3. “Caught in the Act” by Bence Mate, Highly Commended
4. Troy Mayne’s “Slap,” Winner of the Padi Under the Sea Category
5. “Must Have Three-Putted,” By Douglas Croft, Highly Commended
6. “All Dressed and Ready for Church” by Carl Henry, Highly Commended
7. Andrea Zampatti’s “The Laughing Doormouse,” Winner of the Alex Walker’s Serian on the Land Category
8. “Hitching a Ride” by Daisy Gilardini, Highly Commended
9. “Monkey Escape” by Katy Laveck-Foster, Highly Commended
10. “Animal Encounters” by Jean Jacques Alcalay, Highly Commended
11. “Duck Speed” by John Threlfall, Winner of the Kenya Airways in the Air Category
12. Daniel Trim’s, “Mudskippers Got Talent,” Highly Commended
13. “Eh What’s Up Doc?” by Olivier Colle, Highly Commended
14. And Finally, the Winner of the Overall Competition as Well as of the Amazing Internet Portfolio Prize, Tibor Kerccz’s “Help!” 4 Owl Images
3 of the Best Contenders From 2017
1. “Outsourcing Seatbelt Checks” by Masai Mara
2. “Kung Fu Training, Austrailian Style” by Andrey Giljov
3. “I’m OK” by Yamamoto Tsuneo
3 of the Best Contenders From 2016
1. The Rare Bear Falcon, Adam Parsons
2. A Gorilla Giving You the Bird, Gil Gofer
3. He Lost His Keys…by Angela Bohike
And Finally, Just Because We Want You to Leave With a Smile (You’re Welcome)
Bonus.
Human beings are only 1 of 8.7 million different species living on Earth. We have great neighbors! No bad mood can persist after cuddling a small pup, kitten or other cute animals in this world. Watching wild animals can be quite exciting as well. If you feel trapped among humans these days, take a look at these little buddies.
Smalljoys gathered 22 photos of animals that were captured at the best possible moment.
“Flat mode”
“Rawr!”
When life gives you curves, flaunt them!
When someone in the background steals all the attention:
That’s what we call a true recreation.
“High five, bro!”
Just a small pup against the power of nature
The master of hiding
A dolphin showing an albatross how to get some air
“My friend’s cat can’t wait to meet the vet.”
A Hollywood smile
“I have a question, sir!”
The look of surprise on the fish’s face as an osprey plucks it from the water
A photographer worked with this beaver for 2 weeks hiding apple slices in his camera to get this shot.
“I put my cat on a cover that looks just like him.”
“The exact moment the chicken stole her ice cream”
Nose up!
“Move along, nothing to see here!”
“Mid-skid duck”
“My parents’ new pupper misjudged his jump.”
“When you go check your GoPro handstands album”
“You are all gathered here today to… rub my belly!”