Tom Mangelsen/Harry Walker/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019The winners of the 2019 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have been announced and the photos are about to make your day a whole lot better.
Nature is a profound and beautiful thing and animals are often perfect examples of that, with sea creatures creating spectacles as they leap from the water, majestic birds flying in awe-inspiring formations and jungle cats sleuthing through the undergrowth.
Of course, the natural world is also home to a number of less gracious scenes, and that’s where the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards come in.
Tom Mangelsen/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019Created in 2015, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards prides itself on being ‘light-hearted [and] upbeat’ as it highlights some of the funniest scenes the world has to offer, while also promoting conservation through a collaboration with wildlife charity Born Free.
The finalists for this year’s awards were announced in September and contenders for the win included a penguin chest-bumping a sea lion, a rodent who looked to be in the middle of performing a power ballad and a rhino who emptied his bladder all over an unsuspecting bird.
Tilakraj Nagaraj/Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards 2019While they were all incredible in their own right, there were four photos in particular which were deemed worthy of an award.
Check them out below.
Spectrum Photo Creature’s in the Air Award went to Vlado Pirsa for his image entitled ‘Family Disagreement’, which basically summed up every relationship ever:
Vlado-Pirsa/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019The Olympus Creatures Under the Water Award and the Affinity Photo People’s Choice Award were given to Harry Walker for capturing what might just be the cutest image ever, titled ‘Oh My!’:
Harry Walker/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019The Amazing Internet Portfolio Award was given to Elaine Kruer for her photo series titled ‘First Comes Love… Then Comes Marriage’, which managed to depict an entire romance in just four images:
Elaine Kruer/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019These three winners offer some of this year’s funniest and most relatable scenes but the pièce de résistance comes in the form of Sarah Skinner’s shot, entitled ‘Grab Life By The…!’
The perfectly timed shot was chosen as the winner for the Creatures of the Land Category as well as the overall winner for the 2019 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, and it’s easy to see why:
Sarah Skinner/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019The image, taken in Botswana, shows the moment a cute little lion cub raised its sharp claws towards the balls of an unsuspecting adult. What happened after the photo was taken remains a mystery, though photographer Skinner has assured the cub is still thriving – and wreaking havoc, no doubt.
Commenting on her win, she said:
I am absolutely delighted to be awarded the title as Overall Winner in the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019. It certainly warms my heart to know that this image will spread some laughter and happiness around the world.
I am happy to report that this cub continues to thrive in the pride, having seen her again in October this year.
Skinner continued:
I can only hope and encourage everyone, as a collective to each do our part in the conservation of all wildlife species, so that future generations can enjoy them, in the same way that I have done during my career as a wildlife photographer.
Long may lions walk the plains.
Skinner’s win includes a safari in the Masai Mara, Kenya, along with a unique handmade trophy from the Wonder Workshop in Tanzania, an Airport Advantage bag from THINK TANK and an iPad preloaded with the Affinity Photo’s award-winning software.
The win is certainly well deserved!
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.