From a smiley fish to a dangling raccoon, Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards offer some light relief

A colorful Mediterranean parrotfish “smiles” at the camera, a raccoon’s hind legs and tail poke out of a tree and a young seal appears to be having a great time while resting on some wood.

These are three of the 44 hilarious photos from around the globe that have been announced as the finalists in the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2020.

The competition, which is now in its sixth year, is sure to offer some light relief amid the doom and gloom through its selection of unusually expressive wildlife images.

As well as offering some comfort to the public, the awards also aim to promote wildlife conservation, working in conjunction with the Born Free Foundation, an international wildlife charity.

In a statement issued earlier this year, Tom Sullam, a professional photographer and co-founder of the competition, said the entries in 2020 were “particularly poignant.”

“The world is experiencing unprecedented upheaval, but the single brightest light coming out of the gloom is the positive impact on the climate that our self-imposed lockdown has created,” Sullam explained.

“Sadly though, many conservation efforts are losing funding and our competition exists to keep raising awareness, a smile and hopefully support wild animals around the world,” he added.

Joining Sullam and his co-founder Paul Joynson-Hicks on this year’s judging panel are wildlife television presenter Kate Humble, comedian Hugh Dennis, along with wildlife experts, photographers and journalists.

Members of the public can also vote for their favorite photo as part of the People’s Choice Award, with all the winners due to be announced on October 22.

CNN’s Amy Woodyatt contributed to this report.