Need a laugh? Check out these finalists for the 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

 Need a laugh? Check out these finalists for the 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

Paul Joynson-Hicks founded the Comedy Wildlife Photograph Awards in 2015, inspired by years of living and working in East Africa. He brought on a co-founder, fellow photographer Tom Sullam, shortly after, and since then, the awards have become a global competition viewed by millions annually.

The awards might seem like just silly fun, but conservation is at their core. The team behind the competition says their goal is to use laughter to inspire passion for the natural world, which is being threatened by human behavior.

They go on to say that in their view, bombarding people with images of animals in distress makes them more likely to tune the photos out. To combat this, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards wants to make people smile instead, helping viewers 'share our enjoyment of nature and take the time to recognise its value,' according to the competition's website.

Each year, the group reportedly donates 10% of its net revenue to a wildlife organization.