Comedy wildlife photo awards highlight funniest-looking animals

Although the jury is still out on whether animals have the capacity for humour, these photos prove they can, when captured at just the right moment, be hilarious to humans.

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, organized by U.K.-born, Tanzania-based photographer Paul Joynson-Hicks, were handed out for the first time this year. Top prize went to the picture above of a wild hamster in full gallop. 

The silver and bronze finishers:

And the winner gets …

A chance to take more wildlife photos. According to the contest rules, the Austrian photographer who won first place will take home "a splendid trophy for the mantelpiece" as well as a one-week trip to Tanzania, ostensibly to hang out and shoot with Joynson-Hicks. He and the other top three finishers also get a new Nikon camera and lens.

Conservation at contest's core

The contest, which was judged by award-winning wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas, (check out his Instagram) among others, comes with a conservation message — the rules even threaten a lifetime ban if a subject was traumatized while having its picture taken — and was held in partnership with the Born Free Foundation.

Contest organizer is an MBE

Joynson-Hicks, who was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (a few steps down from knighthood) for his charity work in Africa, now lives near Dar es Salaam, where he runs photo safaris.