The animal kingdom is a dynamic place, filled with plenty of action and drama. Freeze and capture any moment in time and an animal’s behavior can become hilarious.

A smoking fox, a flying seal, and an avian family dispute are among the 41 images shortlisted for this year’s Comedy Wildlife Photo awards.

Narrowed down from thousands of entries submitted by professional and amateur photographers from around the world, the competition aims to celebrate the hilarity of our natural wildlife.

And this year’s selection does not disappoint.

The overall winner, category and highly commended winners will be announced on November 23.

Last year’s winner was US photographer Jennifer Hadley’s shot of a baby lion misjudging what could have been its first leap.

Here’s a selection of some of the finalists in the running for 2023.

A spotty leopard in the grass looking surprised

Air-apparent by Paul Goldstein.(Paul Goldstein: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

An otter in a ballerina position with a green leafy background

Otter ballerina by Otter Kwek.(Otter Kwek: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

A baby monkey with its mouth open and a finger touching its cheek

Just a kiss by Brigitte Alcalay Marcon.(Brigitte Alcalay Marcon: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

Two kangaroos with one baby kangaroo jumping behind the other with its arms up

Boing by Lara Mathews.(Lara Mathews: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

A black and white money with its mouth wide open in the trees

Scream by Sergey Savvi.(Sergey Savvi: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

A brown bear lying down in the bush putting his paw up

Picture me, picture me by Dikla Gabriely.(Dikla Gabriely: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

A spotty seal jumping on the sand

Everyone can fly by Adrian Slazok.(Adrian Slazok: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

A hyena on a dirt road smiling with its sharp teeth

What nice teeth you have by Henry Keepin.(Henry Keepin: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

A brown beaver sitting in grass with a piece of grass in its paws

Flossing beaver by Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven.(Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

A turtle with its shell and neck out of the water with a bug hanging on its mouth

Happy turtle by Tzahi Finkelstein.(Tzahi Finkelstein: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

A bird that has accidentally flown into a tree

That wasn’t here yesterday by Wendy Kaveney.(Wendy Kaveney: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

Three birds on a tree branch with one of the birds pointing their wing

Dispute by Jacek Stankiewicz.(Jacek Stankiewicz: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

A fox laying in the leaves with a stick in its mouth

Fox with a cigar by Dakota Vaccaro.(Dakota Vaccaro: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

A white bird that has puffed up into a ball in the snow

Snowball by Jacques Poulard.(Jacques Poulard: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)

A monkey lying down holding its tail on a green, mossy step

The rainforest dandy by Delphine Casimir.(Delphine Casimir: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023)