They can act inadvertently witty, comically clumsy, laughingly foolish or simply truly funny. But are they aware of it? Do wild animals have a sense of humor? Or are humans the only species to possess that characteristic?

It’s an old debate with many experts trying to define what constitutes “humor” and research in the field concluding that animals probably lack that particular sense. In which case, the funny side of animals is in the eye of the beholder — in this particular case, of the photographers lucky enough to be at the ‘right time, right place’ to capture the unwittingly amusing actions of wildlife across our planet.

And it’s from that rich source of material from around the world that the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, with their annual competition, has been bringing smiles to millions of people.

“Funny animal photos are felt to be harmless, yet retain a trace of the taboo: a conflict that stems from the knowledge that, as endearing and relatable as their behaviour may appear to be, we will never truly understand what’s going on in their minds,” The Guardian aptly concludes.

The funniest photos are usually those in which the animals look more like humans. Or, as Jason Moore — this year’s winner of the competition with his image of a kangaroo seemingly practicing its air guitar — explains to the paper: “I will always look for opportunities to capture examples of anthropomorphism. This type of image is among the most successful in attracting and holding an audience’s attention.”

Here is a selection of winning photos since the start of the competition in 2015. I hope they’ll remind you of the less-serious side of life and trigger some smiles to start the new year.

Enjoy!

Here are all the winners and finalists.

“I was swimming with this turtle at Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef when he flipped me the bird!”

An Eastern Chipmunk stuffing her cheeks with corn until they looked ready to pop in Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada.

African Lions seem to share an ironic moment in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya.

This photo is the beginning of a one-minute scene in which each of the Rose-ringed parakeets used a foot to clean the partner’s beak in Kaudulla National Park, Sri Lanka

“Among a group, this parrot fish with a crooked mouth looked like it was smiling,” the photographer said. “I don’t know if it was caused by a fishing hook, or just something hard that it tried to bite. It took me several minutes until I got this frontal shot… and yes, it made my day!”

Atlantic Puffins are amazing flyers and their fishing talents are, as you see from these in Scotland. some do better than others.

A South sea elephant in Isla Escondida, in Argentina’s Patagonia, has a thing or two to say, like it or not.

Shooting the most common can be more challenging. Langurs are very common but getting the right image requires lots of patience. “I had made 15 trips to India in search of a perfect frame until I got this playful monkey with its family,” the photographer said.

In the center of the small town of Hampi. India, there was a bicycle parking lot that suddenly got a flock of langurs jumping on the bicycles and having lots of fun.

“As this Azure damselfly slowly woke up, he became aware of my presence,” the photographer recalled. “I was lined up to take a profile picture of his wings and body, but quite sensibly the damsel reacted to the human with the camera by putting the marsh grass stem between us. I took the shot anyway. It was only later that I realized how characterful it was. And how much the damselfly looks like one of the muppets.

Two wide rhinos in Laikipia, Kenya, organized into back-to-back defense formation, seem to transform into the rarest creature in Africa. Location: Laikipia, Kenya

Coastal Brown Bear cubs interacting on the beach while Mom is fishing in Alaska.

Young fox playing with — or lighting up? — a piece of wood.

With this image of two greenfinches called “Dispute,” young photographer Jacek Stankiewicz won not only the Junior Award but also the Affinity Photo People’s Choice Award, a first for a junior entry. Either the young, naughty kid is arguing with a parent or one kid is reporting to the parent that its brother did something wrong, like: “Look, he broke a window!”

“I was driving past a mob of Western Grey Kangaroos feeding in an open field that was filled with attractive yellow flowers, in Perth, Australia,” the photographer said. “I had my camera with me, so I stopped to grab a few photos. I suddenly noticed this individual adopt a humorous pose – to me it looks like he’s practizing strumming on his Air Guitar.”