Yoga bears to resting owl face: 10 of the funniest animal photos of 2026

From a fitness-obsessed bear to a rather rude orangutan, here are 10 of the most amusing photos of the animal kingdom this year.

A scowling owl, bears sharing a laugh and a leisurely praying mantis are among the finalists of the 2026 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards. 

In the photo above, a female brown bear was captured appearing to do her morning exercises around Lake Clark in Alaska, US. Her workout routine included some bicycle kicks as she appeared to get herself ready for the summer season. 

Scroll down to see nine more entertaining photos of nature's top comedians. 

This red squirrel was caught red-handed in Germany while biting off more than it could chew. The squirrel managed to chomp through the huge mouthful, while striking a dramatic pose. 

Photographer Tapani Linnanmäki caught this white-tailed eagle touching down on watery sea ice on Finland's western coast. After photographing these birds at this location for years, Linnanmäki suspects, but can't be sure, that it's the same eye-catching individual that won the 2024 competition's people's choice award. 

Sunbathing or posing? In reality, a visual trick is at play in this photo: the praying mantis' hind legs are hidden behind the leaf. The image was captured in the proposed Bosques del Araza Regional Conservation Area in Cusco, Peru, which aims to safeguard the headwaters of several important rivers in an area increasingly threatened by illegal gold mining.

This mountain scops owl touched down for a moment in front of a group of birders in Nanling National Forest Park in China. In the flurry of pictures the birders took, the owl appeared deeply unimpressed.  

Photographer Kyo Chen was watching a group of spadefish in the waters of Dumaguete in the........

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