Fat Bear Week is happening now, and you can start voting on Wednesday. At first, it almost didn’t happen because of a problem with the US government, but it’s on track now. Also, there’s a competition called the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards in the UK, and they’ve just released their list of funny animal pictures for 2023. You can join in and help choose the funniest picture for the People’s Choice Award. Plus, you have a chance to win £500 (around $600) in a prize drawing. Some of the funny pictures include a chubby seal racing along the English coast, a monkey that looks like it’s wearing a fake mustache with its tail, a happy turtle making friends with a dragonfly, and a young kangaroo doing a funny dance in the air.
But there’s more to this funny competition than just laughs. It also helps with wildlife conservation. This year, they’re supporting a charity called the Whitley Fund for Nature, which helps people who protect wildlife around the world. The judges for this competition are experts, including famous people like TV presenter Kate Humble and comedian Hugh Dennis. There are also wildlife photographers Daisy Gilardini and Will Bullard-Lucas.
They’ll announce the big winners on November 23, and the top prize is a safari trip to Kenya’s Maasai Mara and a special trophy. For those who can’t get enough of the laughs, there’s something even more exciting. In October 2024, they’ll start the first Comedy Wildlife Guided African Safari in Tanzania. It’s led by the founders of the competition, Hicks and Sullam, along with wildlife expert Humble.
The safari lasts eight nights and costs £11,425 (about $13,900) per person if you share a room. Just be careful not to laugh too hard in those open safari cars – it’s not a good idea to roll on the floor laughing when there’s a wildebeest migration happening!
Image Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/04/travel/comedy-wildlife-photo-award-2023-finalists/index.html