Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards on Oct 22
World Animal Day is marked on October 4 every year to create awareness of the healthy coexistence and welfare of wildlife and people worldwide.
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2021 chose the finalists of the competition on Friday. The winning images will be announced on October 22.
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards was co-founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam who wanted to create a competition that focused on the lighter side of wildlife photography and help promote wildlife conservation through humour.
This year, the competition is supporting Save Wild Orangutans by donating 10 per cent of its total net revenue to the charity. The initiative safeguards wild orangutans in and around Gunung Palung National Park, Borneo.
This year’s shortlist of photographs showcases the biggest mix of animals seen in the competition to date.
“We were overwhelmed with the number and quality of entries we received this year, with well over 7,000 photos submitted from every corner of the globe,” says Paul Joynson-Hicks. “It was an amazing turnout, especially given the impact of the pandemic. The huge number of images we receive every year illustrates the appetite there is to engage with conservation and reminds us that wildlife truly is incredible and hilarious and, we must do all we can to protect it.”
The category and overall Winners will be announced on October 22 with the top image winning an incredible one-week safari with Alex Walker’s Serian in the Masai Mara, Kenya as well as a unique handmade trophy from the Art Garage in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Voting is also open for members of the public to choose the animal snap that made them laugh the loudest in the Affinity Photo People’s Choice Award. The public can cast their vote at on the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards website until October 10 and be in with the chance of winning a brand-new iPad.
“Whittling down the list of photographs was harder than ever this year,” says Tom Sullam. “There were so many funny pictures that had us laughing that we couldn’t settle on a top 40 – so we’re releasing the top 42 instead! It was great to see a range of animals, from the incredibly rare to the humble pigeon. We can’t wait to see what the public choose as their favourite and look forward to showcasing some of these pictures at The Photography Show in Birmingham this September.”