See the 40 finalists in Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

From singing seals to cheering otters, and monkeys driving a motorcycle to penguins standing to attention, these are among the funniest animal photographs known to man.

After more than 3,500 entries from 86 countries were submitted to the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, these are the final 40 that have made the cut – and they’re guaranteed to make you chuckle.

Founded by Tanzania-based photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, the aim of the awards is to focus on wildlife conservation efforts while injecting some humour into the world of wildlife photography.

Mr Sullam said: ‘Conservation was always at the heart of the competition, along with the fact that people seemed to enjoy images of animals doing entertaining things.

‘But essentially living in a country that has some of the best wildlife in the world – Tanzania – and seeing how destructive human actions can be to this wildlife, made us want to do our little bit to help.’ 

Among this year’s top entries are a grooving kangaroo by Andrey Giljov, an exasperated owl enduring the incessant tweeting of its friends by Barb D’Arpino and a cackling African wild dog by Tina Stehr.

Other entries for this year include a gurning gorilla by Josef Friedhuber and a hare standing to attention with a grass moustache by Olivier Colle. The winner will be announced on December 14.

Mr Joynson-Hicks and Mr Sullam will judge the awards with TV presenter Kate Humble, comedian Hugh Dennis, wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas, wildlife expert Will Travers OBE and travel journalist Oliver Smith.

A mother bear and her boy pictured playing in the forest, in this photograph taken in Suomussalmi, Finland

A young elephant seal looks shocked at his friend's revelation in George Cathcart's "WTF?!", taken in San Simeon, California

A young elephant seal looks shocked at his friend’s revelation in George Cathcart’s ‘WTF?!’, taken in San Simeon, California

A red kangaroo starts his day with some martial arts in Andrey Giljov's 'Kung Fu Training - Australian Style' in Fowlers Gap

A red kangaroo starts his day with some martial arts in Andrey Giljov’s ‘Kung Fu Training – Australian Style’ in Fowlers Gap

Blue wildebeest standing on a mound pictured at the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya

Blue wildebeest standing on a mound pictured at the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya

A polar bear mother with a cub hitching a ride on its mother's bottom at Wapusk National Park in Manitoba, Canada

A polar bear mother with a cub hitching a ride on its mother’s bottom at Wapusk National Park in Manitoba, Canada

Three elephant seals put on a show in Roie Galitz's photograph 'Three Tanors', taken in January 2016 on South Georgia Island

Three elephant seals put on a show in Roie Galitz’s photograph ‘Three Tanors’, taken in January 2016 on South Georgia Island

Two king penguins are standing firm while another seems to be giving them orders on the Falkland Islands

Two king penguins are standing firm while another seems to be giving them orders on the Falkland Islands

A sea otter appears to be cheering after having a sleep in the early morning at Elkhorn Slough on Monterey Bay in California

A sea otter appears to be cheering after having a sleep in the early morning at Elkhorn Slough on Monterey Bay in California

A giraffe appears to check plane safety in Graeme Guy's 'Outsourcing Seatbelt Checks' in 2008 at Masai Mara in Kenya

A giraffe appears to check plane safety in Graeme Guy’s ‘Outsourcing Seatbelt Checks’ in 2008 at Masai Mara in Kenya

A female burrowing owl looks exhausted and rather uninterested as three of her owlets vie for her attention in Florida

A female burrowing owl looks exhausted and rather uninterested as three of her owlets vie for her attention in Florida

: A worm pictured crawling a branch in Hong Kong seems to have an expression saying: 'Excuse me, where should I go?'

: A worm pictured crawling a branch in Hong Kong seems to have an expression saying: ‘Excuse me, where should I go?’

Two mudskippers sing their hearts out on tidal mudflats, in this photograph taken in Krabi, Thailand

Two mudskippers sing their hearts out on tidal mudflats, in this photograph taken in Krabi, Thailand

A squirrel scratches himself in Gothenburg, Sweden, in one of the finalists in the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

A squirrel scratches himself in Gothenburg, Sweden, in one of the finalists in the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

A Japanese Macaque, or snow monkey, seen at Jigokundani Monkey Park, near Nakano in Japan

A Japanese Macaque, or snow monkey, seen at Jigokundani Monkey Park, near Nakano in Japan

A large breeding colony of Gentoo penguins are seen grooming on Cuverville Island in Antarctica - but appear to be headless

A large breeding colony of Gentoo penguins are seen grooming on Cuverville Island in Antarctica – but appear to be headless

Two monkeys break away from their group to 'test drive' a motorbike near Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve in Indonesia

Two monkeys break away from their group to ‘test drive’ a motorbike near Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve in Indonesia

Looks like the diet worked! A gnu and its shadow at the watering hole at the hide in Mkhuze Park, South Africa

Looks like the diet worked! A gnu and its shadow at the watering hole at the hide in Mkhuze Park, South Africa

An owl struggles to keep his grip as his friends look the other way in Tibor Kercz's 'Help!', from June in Opusztaszer, Hungary

An owl struggles to keep his grip as his friends look the other way in Tibor Kercz’s ‘Help!’, from June in Opusztaszer, Hungary

A wild rabbit is photographed collecting nesting material in Bredene, in the Belgian province of West Flanders

A wild rabbit is photographed collecting nesting material in Bredene, in the Belgian province of West Flanders

A Calumma nasutum, the nose-horned chameleon, is seen dancing on the end of a branch in Andasibe, Madagascar

A Calumma nasutum, the nose-horned chameleon, is seen dancing on the end of a branch in Andasibe, Madagascar

A mountain gorilla makes grimaces as he comes out of the bush after the rain in Virunga National Park, Rwanda

A mountain gorilla makes grimaces as he comes out of the bush after the rain in Virunga National Park, Rwanda

A green turtle versus a Napoleon Maori wrasse at the Great Barrier Beef in Queensland, Australia

A green turtle versus a Napoleon Maori wrasse at the Great Barrier Beef in Queensland, Australia

A lion does his best Carry On impression in Gill Merritt's 'Oooh matron - carry on up the jungle!' taken on June 1, 2012 in Tanzania

A tiny chameleon who didn't quite understand how its camouflage mechanism suppose to work in Ramat-Gan, Israel

A lion does a Carry On impression in Tanzania (left), and a tiny chameleon can’t camouflage itself in Ramat-Gan, Israel (right)

A baby lemon shark shows a big smile in front of the camera, taken off Bimini in the Bahamas

A baby lemon shark shows a big smile in front of the camera, taken off Bimini in the Bahamas

Say Cheese! A fish at its home smiling to the camera in Sipadan, an island in the Celebes Sea off Malaysia

Say Cheese! A fish at its home smiling to the camera in Sipadan, an island in the Celebes Sea off Malaysia

A burrowing owlet appears to be embarrassed by kissing behind him at Salton Sea in California

A burrowing owlet appears to be embarrassed by kissing behind him at Salton Sea in California

A raven teases a bear pictured in Kuhmo, in the Kainuu region of Finland, in one of the many entries to the photo competition

A raven teases a bear pictured in Kuhmo, in the Kainuu region of Finland, in one of the many entries to the photo competition

A brown bear pictured in Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, in a photograph entitled 'Not To Worry'

A brown bear pictured in Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, in a photograph entitled ‘Not To Worry’

A harbour seal looks to be getting a good laugh about something in San Diego, California

A harbour seal looks to be getting a good laugh about something in San Diego, California

Fox cubs pictured playing at County Meath, just north of Dublin in the Republic Ireland

Fox cubs pictured playing at County Meath, just north of Dublin in the Republic Ireland

The Eurasian brown bears tried to hide in the bush for a quick tryst, but were caught in the act in Harghita County, Romania

The Eurasian brown bears tried to hide in the bush for a quick tryst, but were caught in the act in Harghita County, Romania

Three king penguins approach the only church on South Georgia Island, appearing to be headed for services

Three king penguins approach the only church on South Georgia Island, appearing to be headed for services

A baby dormouse is photographed on the top of a yarrow flower in Monticelli Brusati, Italy

A baby dormouse is photographed on the top of a yarrow flower in Monticelli Brusati, Italy

American black bear (Ursus americanus) reaches back to rub his back against a small tree pictured in Redwood Meadows, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

A red fox surveys his shot in Douglas Croft's 'Must Have Three-Putted', in San Jose, California

An American black bear reaches back to rub his back against a small tree pictured at Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada (left); while a red fox surveys his shot in Douglas Croft’s ‘Must Have Three-Putted’, in San Jose, California (right)

A pack of African wild dogs play and lounge on a sand road at Tembe Elephant Park in Maputaland, South Africa

A pack of African wild dogs play and lounge on a sand road at Tembe Elephant Park in Maputaland, South Africa

A red ghost crab is seen adjusting and cleaning one of its eyes at the Frazergunj beach in West Bengal, India

A red ghost crab is seen adjusting and cleaning one of its eyes at the Frazergunj beach in West Bengal, India

Mummy brown bear just wants some peace and quiet in Martinselkonen, Finland, away from her playing children

Mummy brown bear just wants some peace and quiet in Martinselkonen, Finland, away from her playing children

Widgeon are pictured flying with one seen soaring exactly in front of a high aircraft - taken in Preston, Lancashire

Widgeon are pictured flying with one seen soaring exactly in front of a high aircraft – taken in Preston, Lancashire

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