Kangaroo playing air guitar wins this year’s Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards

Get ready to giggle or even burst into uncontrollable laughter as the biggest moment of the year for funny animal photos has finally arrived with the announcement of this year’s funniest wildlife picture.

The judges of the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards based in the UK have meticulously studied over 1,800 images submitted from 85 countries to determine the most amusing, rib-tickling, and outright hilarious picture.

According to CNN, the winner for 2023 is none other than a kangaroo striking an air guitar pose! A photo, which is sure to bring a smile to your face and even have you humming a tune, was captured by photographer Jason Moore who titled it “Air-Guitar-Roo”.

Moore took the picture of a female western grey kangaroo early one morning in a wildflower field in the suburbs of Perth, Australia. As the winner, Moore has earned himself a handmade trophy, a photography bag, and a one-week safari in Kenya’s Maasai Mara.

In addition to the overall winner, there were six category winners, including young photographer Jacek Stankiewicz, who won the Junior Award with his shot of quarrelsome greenfinches, titled “Dispute.”

Meanwhile, the winner of the Underwater category was a photo of an otter that looked like a ballerina, taken by Otter Kwek, a photographer from Singapore.

Ten more meme-worthy entries, including a joyful turtle adopting a dragonfly, an exquisite Ubud monkey sporting its tail as a faux moustache, and an animated Joey flinging “jazz hands” in midair, received the designation of Highly Commended winners.

The awards, founded in 2015 by photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, are not only for laughter but also promote wildlife conservation and this year’s competition supports the UK charity Whitley Fund for Nature.

The charity helps fund conservationists around the world.

Furthermore, in October 2024, Tanzania will host the first Comedy Wildlife Guided African Safari, led by wildlife expert Kate Humble and co-founders Hicks and Sullam of the awards.

For double occupancy, the eight-night excursion costs £11,425 (about $13,900) per person.

In those open safari cars, one must be prepared for some jaw-dropping moments.