An exhibition will be the first in the UK to display the 2024 finalists of an international photography award.
The Gallery at The Arc in Winchester will showcase the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards from September 27 to January 8, 2025.
The awards, sponsored by Nikon, have celebrated the humour of the natural world since 2015 while raising awareness of sustainability and conservation.
The 2024 competition attracted more than 3,500 entries from nine categories, including mammals, birds, fish, and insects, as well as age categories for under 16s and 25s.
The shortlisted entries were judged by a panel of experts, including competition founder Paul Joynson-Hicks, wildlife presenter Kate Humble, and comedian Hugh Dennis.
The winners will be announced on December 10 in London.
The exhibition at The Arc will not only feature the 2024 finalists but also winning photographs from previous years.
These have been specially selected by Winchester Go LD, a charity supporting adults with learning disabilities.
Tom Sullam, chair of the judging panel and competition director, said: "The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards undoubtedly portray animals in all their glorious, entertaining beauty - who couldn’t laugh out loud at an eagle looking through its back legs or a warthog’s bottom.
"But underlying this is a more serious message.
"We see the humour in the photographs as a way to engage people with the threats that these same animals face, and to understand animals and the issues that affect them, we need to empathise with them as fellow inhabitants of the same planet."
Kirsty Rodda, visual exhibitions manager at Hampshire Cultural Trust, which manages and operates The Arc, said: "This is the first time that we’ve welcomed the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards to The Gallery, and we’re thrilled that Winchester will be the first place in the world to see the finalists – and in December, the winners – of this superb competition on public display."
The exhibition will highlight the amusing side of wildlife while also encouraging visitors to think about the challenges faced by these creatures.
More information about the exhibition, including admission prices, can be found on The Arc Winchester's website.
The initiative offers a unique opportunity for the public to enjoy the lighter side of wildlife while also contemplating the importance of conservation.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here