National

Can't Bear More News? Take A Break With Funny Wildlife Furtography

By Camila Domonoske

Published September 14, 2018 at 12:24 PM PDT

This story was published more than 6 years ago.

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Need another cup of coffee? An owl yawns as another looks toward the camera in Alaska.

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Drive safe! A grizzly bear holds onto a sign in Alaska.

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"It wasn't me!" A squirrel extends its arms in Florida.

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So there! A moose sticks its tongue out at another in Wyoming.

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Prepare for takeoff! A hyena appears to sprout wings in Kenya.

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Ashamed: A kingfisher hides its head in its wings in Huelva, Spain.

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This is Sparta: Two dusky leaf monkeys fight in Kaeng Krachan, Thailand.

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The Dance of The Deer: A pair of deer fight in Richmond Park, United Kingdom.

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A wildlife photograBear framing the perfect shot: A polar bear looks through a camera lens in Svalbard, Norway.

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Got a headache? A female lion covers her face while a male lion looks toward her in Kenya.

Sometimes wildlife photographers capture images that are awe-inspiring, thought-provoking, dramatic, emotional.

And sometimes, they catch one moose sticking its tongue out at another.

Yes, it's that time of the year — time for the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards.

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The awards highlight the most amusing animal pictures of the year, to draw attention to wildlife conservation.

Last year's winner was a tiny owl falling off a branch. The year before, a fox diving face-first into the snow.

This year's winner will be announced in November, but the 41 finalists have been posted now — and if you visit the contest website, you can have a say in the "people's choice award."

What'll it be? A bored owl? An ashamed bird? A moose clearly crooning a tuneful melody?

Sometimes, a miracle of timing and alignment results in wildlife photos that sound more like the Magic Kingdom than the animal kingdom: a rhino in a peacock-color tutu and a hyena with wings. Two bear cubs dancing the tango, and two deer in a very solemn waltz — or maybe a height-measuring contest.

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In other cases, the photos are feats of captioning, as much as photography.

A big-beaked bird yelling right in the face of another: "I GUESS THE HONEYMOON IS OVER."

A hippo chomping down on another hippo's rear: "Should Have Gone To Specsavers."

But, much like a polar bear doing yoga or a squirrel in a split, some of the puns are a bit of a stretch. Like the "Wildlife PhotograBear."

Take a look for yourself. Winners will be announced Nov. 15.

Corrected: September 14, 2018 at 9:00 PM PDT

An earlier caption in the slideshow incorrectly identified the fighting Thai primates as gibbons. In fact, it is a pair of dusky leaf monkeys that appear to be re-enacting a scene from Sparta.