19 hysterical winners from this year's Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

The annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards compile the most hilariously candid photos of animals in the wild, from dramatic facial expressions to perfectly timed coincidences.

But the contest is about more than just silly photos. Founders Tom Sullam and Paul Joynson-Hicks started the competition to raise awareness about wildlife conservation. They hope the pictures encourage people to shop responsibly, be mindful of their water use, and speak out about environmental issues - in addition to making people laugh.

This year's winners were chosen from a pool of 4,000 entries from 68 different countries and whittled down to 40 finalists. From there, a panel of judges determined the most hysterical winning photos.

Here are the 19 funniest photos of animals taken this year. Captions have been condensed and edited for clarity.