A squirrel in a predicament, a preying mantis performing the Flamenco dance and a frog in a balloon have taken out the top honours in this year's Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. The judging panel selected the winners from a pool of more than 4000 entries by professional and amateur photographers during the 10th anniversary of the contest.

Marchetti's image, titled Stuck Squirrel, came out on top – awarded the highest number of points in total. The image depicts a Red Squirrel seemingly stuck 90º out of a hole in a tree with legs and tail outstretched to strengthen the effect and amusing nature.

It can take hours – and sometimes several days – in the wilderness to shoot the kinds of photographs that capture our imagination and reveal lesser-known facets of the lives of animals with whom we share our planet.

With a record 9,000 entries competing this year, the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has reached its conclusion — and these are the winners for 2024.

The competition, which has been going since 2015, offers a place for nature photographers to show off the amusing snapshots they've captured while documenting the natural world.

A red squirrel's daring dive into a tree trunk has captured hearts and laughter, winning a top wildlife photo contest.