The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards promotes wildlife conservation through laughter. Cofounder Tom Sullam recently treated a TED audience to an important conservation lesson in hilarious fashion.
Speaking at TEDNext Atlanta in November last year, Sullam delved into how “positive emotion leads to empathy”, which in turn shifts attitudes and behaviors.
Contrary to what you might believe, bombarding people with images of animals suffering isn’t the best way to make them care. In fact, Sullam shared how it’s laughter that gets people on board with preserving the wonders of nature.
But this wasn’t just a philosophical ramble about looking on the bright side. There was a much deeper message here: how laughter is the ultimate reminder of the connection that humans have with nature.
And Sullam made this point in side-splitting fashion with a suite of heartwarmingly funny wildlife photos.
What better way to remind society of its connection with the natural world than sharing hilarious moments of all creatures great and small.
There’s nothing more empathy-inducing than a pair of seals seemingly cracking up together, as if two old friends were sharing a good joke.
These were just two of the competition’s previous entries Sullam treated his audience to, and they perfectly demonstrated how wildlife conservation ultimately comes through relation.
We aren't so different after all, and we certainly have more in common with animals than just sharing the same planet.
Referring to the images on screen, Sullam shared a poignant thought: “It’s our job to be custodians of these tender moments and we should accept coexistence rather than separation”, before closing with an image of a grumpy leatherback turtle flipping the audience off.
You can watch Sullam's full TED Talk here.
The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards is an annual competition celebrating the funniest moments from the natural world captured on camera to "dissolve boundaries between species”.
Mark Meth Cohn won the competition in 2025 with his image of a gorilla prancing along a hillside seemingly high-fiving the camera. Cohn captured the scene in the Virunga Mountains, Rwanda.
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