In the forests of Rwanda in Africa, a gorilla stretched its foot upward. Mark Meth-Cohn, a British wildlife photographer, titled his photo of the moment "High Five." A high kick might suit a foot, but the sole looks like a human hand, so the title isn't wrong.
The Nikon Wildlife Photography Awards announced on the 9th that Meth-Cohn's gorilla photo was chosen as this year's overall No. 1 work. The organizers said 10,000 entries from 109 countries were submitted this year, the highest in the competition's 11-year history. Out of the submissions, 44 works, including the video winner, made the final shortlist, and Meth-Cohn's entry stood out among the judges and swept first place in the mammals institutional sector.
◇ Launched to raise interest in wildlife conservation
The Funny Wildlife Photo Contest was started in 2015 by British photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam. This year marks the 11th edition. While other photo contests honor images that capture the majestic side of wildlife, this competition, true to its name, selects and awards photos that show wildlife in comical moments. The founders said they launched the exhibition to highlight the brighter side of wildlife and, through humor, raise interest in animals at risk of extinction.
The exhibition also helps wildlife conservation efforts. Each year, the organizers donated part of the competition revenue to the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN), a U.K. wildlife conservation foundation that co-hosted the event. The Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) has supported more than 220 conservationists in 80 countries over the past 30 years with £23 million (about 45 billion won).
The overall No. 1 winner was shot earlier this year in Rwanda. The judges said it captured a perfect moment of a gorilla dancing in a forest clearing. Meth-Cohn said, "I spent an unforgettable four days exploring the misty Virunga Mountains where gorilla families live," and added, "One day, I encountered a family in a forest clearing, and a young male showed off his high kicks and somersaults." He added, "Watching the gorilla's performance was pure joy, and I'm glad I could capture his playful side in this photo."
Meth-Cohn also made the finals in last year's competition. He said it had been his lifelong dream to photograph big cats on the vast African plains. That dream came true as he took overall first place this year. The top winner receives a safari trip in Kenya's Maasai Mara as a prize. A trophy and a camera bag are also awarded.
Stefan Maier, Nikon's senior marketing manager for Europe, said, "The top-winning work perfectly captures the play of wildlife," adding, "Nikon is proud to support visual storytellers like this year's winners, inspiring audiences around the world to connect with and protect the planet's incredible wildlife."
◇ Striking surprise expressions from an eagle and a monkey
Grayson Bell of the United States won both the junior award for ages 16 and under and the reptiles, amphibians and insects institutional sector award. He did a close-up of two frogs wrestling underwater and titled it "The Convert Being Baptized by Force." Paula Rustemeier of Germany won the young artist award for under 25 with a playful fox photo titled "Dance Battle of the Foxes."
Warren Price of the United Kingdom captured the moment two puffins' heads overlapped and titled it "Headlock." The photo won the birds institutional sector award. Also from the U.K., Jenny Stock took the institutional sector award for fish and other aquatic animals with "kimchi (original title Smiley)," featuring a bluestriped fangblenny.
Stock said she chose the title because, in the Philippines, the bluestriped fangblenny kept popping its head out of the coral as if asking to be photographed. It is only 8 centimeters long and looks funny, but it is actually a fearsome species. When it encounters an enemy, this fish bites and injects a potent toxin.
Tatjana Epp of Germany took first place in the video institutional sector with a dazzling clip of a surfing heron. In Mar. she filmed a heron in South Africa's Kruger National Park gliding over the water as if surfing.
Later, she realized the heron was riding on a hippopotamus. With many crocodiles around, the hippo's back was not a playground but the perfect hiding place for survival. Epp said, "When the hippo started to move, the heron nearly lost its balance but soon corrected its posture," adding, "The sight of the bird seeming to enjoy the speed was a once-in-a-lifetime moment."
Maggie Hoffman of the United States photographed a chimpanzee diligently picking its nose in sequence and titled it "Gold Mining," winning the series institutional sector award. As babies do, the female chimpanzee in the photos put the "gold" she dug from her nose into her mouth.
Besides the winners in each institutional sector, the organizers selected 10 Highly Commended works. Meth-Cohn, the overall No. 1 winner, also received a commendation for a photo of a mother gorilla kissing her baby. This year's winning works will be exhibited from the 10th to the 14th at Gallery@Oxo in London. The organizers said that, in addition to Nikon, paper company Hahnemühle and printer Metro Imaging also sponsored this year's competition.
References
Nikon Wildlife Photography Awards, https://www.comedywildlifephoto.com/gallery/nikon-comedy-wildlife-2025-competition-winners.php