ByScott Travers,
Contributor.
Each year, the Nature’s Best Photography Awards gives us a glimpse into the raw, breathtaking beauty of wildlife. But sometimes, it also reminds us that nature isn’t always as serious as it looks; animals can be just as funny, awkward and endearing as we are.
This year’s Animal Antics category delivered moments of pure joy: gorillas in a tickle fight, lemurs posing like a dance troupe, and monkeys caught in an unfiltered display of affection. As a biologist, these moments make me laugh. This isn’t just due to how cute they are, but also because they reveal something deeply human about primates, our closest relatives.
Here are three of my favorite winning photos from 2025’s contest that capture the lighter side of primates’ life in the wild.
