The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has named its overall winner of this year’s competition: Jennifer Hadley, for her classic photograph of a lion cub losing its grip on a tree trunk entitled “Not so cat-like reflexes.”
The shot also won the Creatures of the Land category. “Up against 5,000 incredible entries from over 85 countries around the world, Jennifer’s image fought off fierce competition in the closest voting ever!” a news release about the competition read. “The image was captured in the Serengeti, Tanzania, when Jennifer managed to capture that moment a young 3-month-old cub tries to descend from a tree, and it didn’t go so well. ‘It was probably his first time in a tree’ Jennifer said of the image ‘and he decided to just go for it.’ And luckily for us, Jenn as the 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Jennifer wins a once in a lifetime safari in the Masai Mara, Kenya, with Alex Walker’s Serian plus a unique handmade trophy from the Wonder Workshop in Tanzania and a fantastic photography bag from THINK TANK.”
“I think part of what makes this contest great is that most of these photos probably happen by complete accident and that was certainly the case with the lion cub falling out of the tree,” Hadley said. “It was very late in the afternoon and so I had my aperture as open as possible to capture the most light possible with my shutter down lower than I would have liked but I figured with the cub walking around in the tree, I didn’t really need the speed. It didn’t even occur to me that he would make a go of getting down by himself in the most un-cat like fashion. I mean, how often do cats fall out of trees? The gasp that emanated from our vehicle was palatable. No one expected this to happen and of course we were concerned for his safety but happily as cats do, he righted himself just in time and landed on all fours and ran off with his siblings. A happy ending for a hapless kitty who didn’t quite know how to get down from a tree.”
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards was founded in 2015 by Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, according to the organization, and described as a competition for “both professional photographers and passionate conservationists and is a global, online and free to enter photography competition, showcasing seriously funny images of the earth’s most amazing wildlife. In addition to providing some light-hearted relief and joy, the competition aims to highlight the extremely important message of wildlife conservation in an engaging and positive way, championing the work of charity partner.”
Take a look at some of the other highly commended winners:
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
John Chaney
Houston
United States
Title: Fight Back
Description: This salmon decide to punch the bear in the face rather than be lunch.
Animal: Bear
Location of shot: Alaska (John D. Chaney)
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
Michael Eastwell
Southampton
United Kingdom
Title: It's all kicking off!
Description: Apart from its beauty, Cape Hillsborough is renowned for its resident kangaroos and wallabies. I visited the area for three consecutive sunrises, but it was on my final morning that I captured this beautiful spectacle, two wallabies playing / fighting on the beach as the sun burst through the surrounding clouds.
Animal: Wallabies
Location of shot: Cape Hillsborough, Queensland (MICHAEL ANTHONY EASTWELL)
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022
JAGDEEP RAJPUT
DELHI
India
Title: Pegasus, the flying horse.
Description: Actually this is Indian Saras Crane attacking a Bluebull from behind, the bull happened to venture close to Saras's nest, where in, it had laid a single egg. The Saras Crane, which is tallest flying bird in the world, opened it's huge wings and attacked the bull from behind, driving the bull away from the nest.
Animal: Bluebull and Indian saras Crane.
Location of shot: Keoladeo National Park, India. (@Jagdeep RAJPUT)
Amanda Cochran is an Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist. She specializes in Texas features, consumer and business news and local crime coverage.
