Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards: Check out this giggling seal and other funny animal pics
- Published
No this isn't a pic of a Newsround presenter first thing on Monday morning, it's actually a Pied Starling. It was caught on camera perched in a tree at the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in South Africa. That is one angry bird!
This ssssssseriously scary vine snake was snapped in India. They're quite common there and show aggression by opening their mouth like this. Photographer Aditya Kshirsagar said: "I was happy to find it and smiling, and it looks like he was smiling back at me." Sorry Aditya but we're not convinced that's a smile...!
Ahhh this looks comfy. Here a brown bear cub in Far East Russia has been snapped using its mum to rest on. (Let's be honest we've all done that....) Brown bears are one of the largest living carnivores (meat-eaters) but their cubs are really vulnerable when they're born because they're blind.
Ready for my close-up! This dragonfly looks as though it's having a great chuckle...about what we're not sure. It was photographed on a flower in Germany. Axel Bocker who took the picture said: "The year 2020/2021 was very hard for everybody because of coronavirus. But when you go outside and watch carefully the beauty of our nature, then problems seems to get less for me. So if I have a bad day this image makes me give a smile back."
Peek-a-boo! This little gosling was spotted in a park in London. It was in a group but broke away from the pack and hid behind a bench leg. Luckily it poked its head out to say hello!
Smooth-coated otters are strong swimmers and they hunt in groups for food (fish). This baby is being taken for a swimming lesson by its mum. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (The International Union for Conservation of Nature鈥檚 Red List of Threatened Species).
Now that is a Paddington bear 'hard stare' if ever there was one! This picture of a Ruby-crowned kinglet was taken in California by Patrick Dirlam. He said: "I followed this Ruby-Crowned Kinglet for about 15 minutes as it hopped from one branch to another in fast succession. I think it knew I was following it because, all of a sudden, it just stopped and stared at me for all of about three seconds!"
We've all been here. Mum or dad are trying to take a nice serious photo....and this happens. Here a polar bear mum is posing with one of her cubs in the icy waters of the Arctic, while the other cub is more interested in photobombing and waving at the photographer.
What's so funny?! This grey seal pup snapped in Ravenscar appears to be having a good old giggle. Photographer Martina Novotna said: "I was lying on a rocky beach for hours, as motionlessly as possible, patiently waiting for seal life to unfold around me. This seal pup came onto the shore for a bit of rest and ended up sleeping on its chosen rock for hours before the incoming tide forced it to move more inland. Occasionally, it would stretch and yawn and it was one of the yawns that led to this expression, looking as if the seal was giggling."
We wonder what they're whispering to each other. These three little raccoons were caught having a gossip in Germany. Raccoons aren't native to Germany, they were first introduced there in the 1930s.
Pucker up! Boxfish, like this one, are usually bright and attractive but they can be quite difficult to get a photo of. The photographer, Philipp Stahr, said: "When the right moment had come, I turned the camera 90 degrees to the front and just point and shoot, hoping to have the fish in focus. Never expected to have its beautiful lips that close!"
Would you be-leaf it! Woodpigeons can be spotted across the UK in woods and fields but also in towns too. This one, caught when a leaf blew onto its head, was seen in Oban.
- Published27 November 2020
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- Published21 May 2021