The hilarious winners of the 2024 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
The winners of the 2024 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have been announced, with this year's finalists showcasing the funniest parts of the animal kingdom.
The contest, which has been dubbed the '"funniest and most popular photography competition in the world", featured over 9,000 images, with judges narrowing it down to their top 45 picks.
Despite the extensive range of hilarious snaps, it was Milko Marchetti who was announced as the overall winner of the 2024 competition for his photo, entitled "Stuck Squirrel".
The hilarious photo shows a red squirrel entering a tree, with its legs at right angles to the trunk.
"I have taken many, many photographs of squirrels, in many situations over the years in Italy," Mr Marchetti explained.
"But this one struck me as really funny and such a strange position, because it is that exact moment when the squirrel is detaching its back legs from the trunk to enter its hide."
"Whenever I show this image at the nature seminars at my local photography club, the audience always explode with raucous laughter, so I had to enter it!"
The judges explained that Mr Marchetti's image really reflects the "enchanting" aspect of nature, as Stefan Maier, Senior General Manager of Marketing at Nikon Europe, said, "We are thrilled to celebrate Milko Marchetti's outstanding achievement in the Nikon Comedy Photography Awards 2024."
"His image, 'Stuck Squirrel', brilliantly captures the playful and unpredictable moments that make nature so enchanting. This year's competition received a record number of entries, each one a testament to the power of photography in evoking emotion."
"We look forward to continuing to inspire the next generation of wildlife photographers through these wonderful awards."
Image credits: Nikon Comedy Wildlife / 2024 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards