The 17 funniest animal photos of 2016 have been revealed

by Gordon Hunt

14 Nov 2016

Overall winner and On Land winner. (c) Angela Bohlke / Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2016

Overall winner and On Land winner. Angela Bohlke/Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2016

A fox face-planting into the snow helped US photographer Angela Bohlke take top prize at the second Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards.

Seeing off stiff competition from over 2,200 entries, Angela Bohlke’s snap from Yellowstone National Park in the US took home both the overall and ‘on land’ prizes at the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards.

Capturing the moment after a fox leapt into the air before propelling its face at potential prey under the snow, Bohlke’s picture saw impressive competition cast aside, much to her surprise.

“I was absolutely shocked to be announced as the overall winner as I was not at all expecting to even be a finalist,” she said. “There were so many amazing photographs from such skilled photographers in the competition.

“The picture shows a red fox hunting for his morning breakfast, a small rodent, known as a vole. This photograph is from one of the times he unfortunately – however, hilariously – missed. On the third try, he finally succeeded.”

Overall winner and On Land winner. Angela Bohlke/Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2016

Prizes galore

Along with the title, Bohlke won a seven-night photographic safari holiday in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, flights to and from Kenya, as well as a Nikon D810 body and 24-120mm f/4G ED VR AF-S NIKKOR lens.

The other category winners were: Kenya Airways In the Air winner, Nicholas de Vaulx, for his image of a pelican dropping its catch mid-flight; Jim Chen from Taiwan, who scooped the Underwater category with a painted frog fish casually hitting another in the face, England’s 15-year-old Thomas Bullivant, winner of the Junior category with is smiling zebras; and Argentinian Mario Gustavo Fiorucci, winner of the Portfolio category for his posing owls.

Kenya Airways In the Air winner. (c) Nicolas de Vaulx / Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2016

Kenya Airways In the Air winner. Nicolas de Vaulx/Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2016

Junior Winner (c) Thomas Bullivant / Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2016

Junior Winner. Thomas Bullivant/Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2016

Underwater winner. (c) Jim Chen / Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2016

Underwater winner. Jim Chen/Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2016

Portfolio winner. (c) Mario Fiorucci / Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2016

Portfolio winner. Mario Fiorucci/Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2016

Important role

Partnering with the wildlife charity, the Born Free Foundation, the awards are designed to share with the public the ‘true playfulness of the animal kingdom’.

“The essence of the competition is to raise awareness of the wildlife that we live with,” said Tom Sullam, one of the judges and founders of the competition, before the winners were revealed. “Comedy is an essential part of our lives, and there are thousands of occasions when pets and wild animals alike behave in a funny manner.”

Several other images were highlighted for special commendation. The level of entries was so high that the competition has already decided to return in 2017.