Funny creatures: Comedy Wildlife Photography winners

The overall winner was this shot of a golden silk monkey hanging out on a supporting wire in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan. Amateur photographer Ken Jensen, who snapped the well-timed photo during a family holiday to the Lonsheng Gorge in 2016, said the monkey was actually showing a sign of aggression.

The founders of the competition, Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, saw that funny animal photos were effective as a means of engagement. While Joynson-Hicks was working as a wildlife photographer he saw shots that made him laugh out loud, sparking the idea for the competition. This Hamdryas baboon, captured by Clemence Guinard, started to yawn while gracefully positioning its paws under its neck.

This chameleon with an attitude was captured in Western Ghats, India. There are different categories in the competition, including one for creatures that can fly, one for those of the land and another one for marine creatures. "Don't panic if the animal, like a squirrel, for example, looks like he is flying, it still lives on the land," the organizers helpfully state on their website.

Anyone can be part of the judging process. This photograph of a smooth-coated otter "biting" its baby to carry it back and forth for swimming lessons was named the winner in the Creatures Under the Water category. Chee Kee Teo captured the otter's parenting style in Singapore.

This prairie dog in the US state of Colorado was able to startle a bald eagle, giving it enough time to escape into a nearby burrow. The bald eagle already had one go at the feisty prairie dog, but missed. Arthur Trevino was the one to catch the drama on camera, and won in the Creatures on the Land category.

This burrowing owl was captured in the US state of California by Anita Ross. The youngster caught her eye because he looked like he's suffering from a hangover, she said. The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards' motto is "conservation through competition, with organizers promoting protectionist measures such as eating less meat to help fight deforestation or using bar soap to reduce plastic waste.

Vicki Jauron was singled out for a series of four images showing a playful young elephant enjoying a mud bath on the shores of Lake Kariba in Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe. This year, the competition is donating 10% of its total net revenue to Save Wild Orangutans, a charity that helps protect the animals in and around Gunung Palung National Park, Borneo.

This friendly damselfly was photographed in Hemer, Germany by Axel Bocker. The shot was one of the 42 finalists selected for the photo competition, among more than 7,000 entries. "It was an amazing turnout, especially given the impact of the pandemic," said Joynson-Hicks, adding, "wildlife truly is incredible and hilarious."

After a humble beginning in 2015, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has become a globally renowned competition viewed by millions of people. The competition seeks to promote conservation by celebrating the humor that can be found in the natural world. This shot of mudskipper fish, taken by Chu Han Lin in Tainan, Taiwan, did not win but was highly commended.

When is summer over? The answer appears to be blowing in the wind: This picture was taken by John Speirs in Oban, United Kingdom. "I was taking pics of pigeons in flight when this leaf landed on a bird's face," said Speirs. His funny snapshot won the people's choice award.