Squirrel Stuck In a Tree Is a Laughing Matter

Photographer Milko Marchetti happened upon a squirrel in a public park in Ravenna, Italy, so he snapped a shot of the rodent halfway in (or out) of a hole in a tree. “This photo had an effect on me and made me smile a lot in that moment that I clicked the button,” he says. “I knew I had to enter it into the competition.”

He entered – and won – top honors in the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards. Besides the trophy and a fine entry for his resume, Marchetti wins a week-long safari for two in Kenya.

In Spain, a praying mantis in the road caught the eye of Jose Miguel Gallego Molina. He found the graceful little bug as it was dancing, arms akimbo, so he titled his shot – the winner in the insects category – “Mantis Flamenca.”

“I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this picture,” says Tapani Linnanmäki of Finland. What he couldn’t believe was the sight of a white-tailed eagle standing on a frozen pond, fluffing its feathers and looking a bit confused. The bird is now immortalized in a shot called “Shake ruffle rattle and roll” and is probably the only time in the life of this raptor it looks anything less than majestic.

Among the Highly Commended Winners (a euphemism for Not Actually A Winner) is a shot of a female cheetah, playing “Hide and Seek” with a topi, a kind of antelope. Photographer Leslie McLeod believes the big cat was hunting for a mate, not a meal.

The funny pics are for a good cause, as the contest organizers give ten percent of their net revenue to charity partner Whitley Fund for Nature.

See all the winners here.