Sometimes wildlife photographers capture images that are awe-inspiring, thought-provoking, dramatic, emotional.
And sometimes, they catch one moose sticking its tongue out at another.
Yes, it's that time of the year — time for the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards.
The awards highlight the most amusing animal pictures of the year, to draw attention to wildlife conservation.
Last year's winner was a tiny owl falling off a branch. The year before, a fox diving face-first into the snow.
This year's winner will be announced in November, but the 41 finalists have been posted now — and if you visit the contest website, you can have a say in the "people's choice award."
What'll it be? A bored owl? An ashamed bird? A moose clearly crooning a tuneful melody?
Sometimes, a miracle of timing and alignment results in wildlife photos that sound more like the Magic Kingdom than the animal kingdom: a rhino in a peacock-color tutu and a hyena with wings. Two bear cubs dancing the tango, and two deer in a very solemn waltz — or maybe a height-measuring contest.
In other cases, the photos are feats of captioning, as much as photography.
A big-beaked bird yelling right in the face of another: "I GUESS THE HONEYMOON IS OVER."
A hippo chomping down on another hippo's rear: "Should Have Gone To Specsavers."
But, much like a polar bear doing yoga or a squirrel in a split, some of the puns are a bit of a stretch. Like the "Wildlife PhotograBear."
Take a look for yourself. Winners will be announced Nov. 15.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
