Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017: Little owl falling of branch beats amorous bears to top spot

More than 3,500 entries from 86 countries were submitted in the five categories

(Tibor Kercz / CWPA / Barcroft Im)

A little owl falling off a branch beat a couple of bears in a compromising position and a pair of monkeys apparently riding a motorbike to win the annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Award.

More than 3,500 entries from 86 countries were submitted, capturing the mischief, mayhem and downright clumsiness of creatures.

The overall winner was Tibor Kercz who wowed the judges with his well-timed photo of an owl clumsily trying to regain its footing on a branch.

Jean-Jacques Alcalay was highly commended for his snap of a blue wildebeest appearing to ride a wave of hundreds of other wildebeest in Masai Mara, Kenya (Jean-Jacques Alcalay/ Barcroft ) (Jean-Jacques Alcalay/ Barcroft)

Taken in Opusztaszer, Hungary, he won a safari in Kenya as well as a trophy handmade by disabled men and women in Tanzania.

While he won the overall competition, others triumphed in four other categories: On The Land, Under The Sea, Portfolio and Juniors.

Judges, including comedian Hugh Dennis and presenter Kate Humble, chose the winners.

John Threlfall won the Up In The Air Category, with a photo of ducks flying through the sky over Preston, with one soaring in front of a plane tail.

The On The Land category was clinched by Andrea Zampatti, who captured the joyful expression of a dormouse atop a flower in Italy.

In the Junior section Jodie Ramackers was victorious for her photo of a rhino appearing to mount a dirt mound.

And Troy Mayne won Under The Sea for capturing a fish being slapped by a bored-looking turtle.

Each category winner was awarded a THINK TANK camera bag and a certificate.

Other highly commended entries included two bears getting frisky in Harghita, Romania, taken by Bence Mate, and a wildebeest appearing to surf the herd in Masai Mara, Kenya, snapped by Jean-Jacques Alcalay.

A pair of mischievous monkeys appearing to ride a motorbike in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, and shocked seals in San Simeon, California, were also among the judge’s favourites.

The Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) tried to hide in the bush for a quick tryst, but they were surely caught in the act (Bence Mate / CWPA / Barcroft)

The competition, founded by photographers Tom Sullam and Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE, is aimed at raising conservation issues.

Mr Joynson-Hicks said: “It’s been a real success this year, the quality of images has improved substantially and we have had more entries and from more countries.

“We had many more entries, from more countries – 86 in total this year – and with a much higher calibre of photograph.

“For me one of my favourites was the fox peeing in the golf hole, I know that there are lots of people who feel the same way about golf!

“But there were so many incredible shots this year, it was really hard to choose."