Who doesn’t need a dancinggorilla tospark some joy in their life right now?

A windswept gannet, laughing lions and a sleepy frog could also lift the mood, which is probably why they have all been chosen as finalists in this year’sNikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.

Judges of the annual contest have selected 40 images that are guaranteed to raise a smile, as well as three portfolio category images and 10 videos of some of nature’s most hilarious offerings.

The competition, which has been going for a decade, received almost 10,000 entries from applicants in 108 countries this year, organizers said. Some of the other entertaining shots include one of a squirrel having a bad hair day and another of two wrestling frogs.

The finalists will be judged in a range of categories, including ones for reptiles, insects and fish, as well as for younger photographers. There is also a People’s Choice Award, which will be open to a public vote on the competition website from the day after the winners are announced.

Photographer Beate Ammer took this shot in her garden in Queensland, Australia, dubbing the amphibian her "frog prince."

“These images combine wit and wonder to celebrate nature’s character, while emphasising the urgency of conservation,” said Stefan Maier, Nikon Europe senior general manager of marketing, in the press release Thursday. “At Nikon, we’re proud to support a competition that sparks joy while reminding us why our wild world is worth protecting.”

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Awards co-founder Tom Sullam said the competition hadreached “more people in more countries than ever before, helping us raise awareness of animal and habitat conservation and crucially, highlight the fundamental importance of having wildlife on our planet and in our lives.”

Each year, the competition supports a sustainable conservation organization and the Whitley Fund for Nature has been selected again for 2025. The UK-based charity supports conservation leaders from around the global south.

The overall, category and highly commended winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on December 9. All of the finalists will form part of an exhibition at theGallery@Oxo in London from December 10-14.

A mother squirrel is having a bad hair day in Victoria, British Columbia, as she moves her young to a new nest.

This elephant in Sri Lanka seems to be playing peekaboo with his ears.

Capturing this young gorilla dancing playfully in Rwanda's Virunga Mountains was "pure joy," according to the photographer.

It's a smooth landing for this red-throated loon in Finland.

These fighting green frogs in Biddeford, Maine, look like they're performing a baptism.

What's the joke? Three lions all appear in good humor as they yawn at the same time in the Masai Mara.

A cheeky seagull drops a "bomb" on a white-tailed eagle in northwestern Iceland.

This lemur found something finger-lickin' good in Madagascar.

The photographer and his wife were treated to a circus performance from these baboons on their honeymoon in Zimbabwe.

The temperature in Bavaria, Germany, was so low that this duck's visible breath makes it look like they're smoking.

Oh my! This little baboon met their match when approached by an elephant in Zambia.

The early morning antics of red-crowned cranes in Kushiro Shitsugen National Park in Japan.