Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards finalists 2019: Funniest animal photos of the year

The finalists have been announced for this year's Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards.

Tussling foxes, a waving otter, a laughing seal and a chilling baby chimpanzee are among the 40 finalists for the annual competition.

Competition founder Paul Joynson-Hicks said each year, the competition gets tougher. Last year an image of a shocked squirrel walked off with the top prize.

"Every year we do this competition, it gets more and more exciting to see how people visualise the funny sides of wildlife in the wild," he said in a statement.

But it wasn't just about animals doing funny things, the competition aimed to highlight the importance of conservation.

"Our planet is in distress, we all know that, now we just need to know what to do."

It's hoped the competition will lend a helping hand to those eager to get involved in wildlife conservation. Organisers of the competition suggested shopping responsibly, restricting water use at home, and becoming a 'wild influencer'.

Organisers said the overall winner and category winners would be announced on November 13.