A little owl falling off a branch beat a couple of bears in a compromising position and a pair of monkeys apparently riding a motorbike to win the annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Award.
More than 3,500 entries from 86 countries were submitted, c a pturing t he m ischief, mayhem and downright clumsiness of creatures.
The overall winner was Tibor Kercz who wowed the judges with his well-timed photo of an owl clumsily trying to regain its footing on a branch.
Taken in Opusztaszer, Hungary, he won a safari in Kenya as well as a trophy handmade by disabled men and women in Tanzania.
While he won the overall competition, others triumphed in four other categories: On The Land, Under The Sea, Portfolio and Juniors.
Judges, including comedian Hugh Dennis and presenter Kate Humble, chose the winners.
John Threlfall won the Up In The Air Category, with a photo of ducks flying through the sky over Preston, with one soaring in front of a plane tail.
The On The Land category was clinched by Andrea Zampatti, who captured the joyful expression of a dormouse atop a flower in Italy.
In the Junior section Jodie Ramackers was victorious for her photo of a rhino appearing to mount a dirt mound.
And Troy Mayne won Under The Sea for capturing a fish being slapped by a bored-looking turtle.
Each category winner was awarded a THINK TANK camera bag and a certificate.
Other highly commended entries included two bears getting frisky in Harghita, Romania, taken by Bence Mate, and a wildebeest appearing to surf the herd in Masai Mara, Kenya, snapped by Jean-Jacques Alcalay.
A pair of mischievous monkeys appearing to ride a motorbike in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, and shocked seals in San Simeon, California, were also among the judge’s favourites.
The competition, founded by photographers Tom Sullam and Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE, is aimed at raising conservation issues.
Mr Joynson-Hicks said: “It’s been a real success this year, the quality of images has improved substantially and we have had more entries and from more countries.
“We had many more entries, from more countries – 86 in total this year – and with a much higher calibre of photograph.
“For me one of my favourites was the fox peeing in the golf hole, I know that there are lots of people who feel the same way about golf!
“But there were so many incredible shots this year, it was really hard to choose."
