In a year where nearly everyone could use a good laugh, a playful gorilla in Rwanda has delivered exactly that – and earned a UK photographer the top prize at the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.
Mark Meth-Cohn’s perfectly timed shot “High Five” captures a young mountain gorilla mid-dance move, appearing to celebrate with an enthusiastic high-kick that would make any Broadway performer jealous. The image beat a record-breaking 10 000 entries from 109 countries to claim the coveted top spot in the competition’s 11 year history.
For Mark, this year’s victory is especially sweet after being a finalist in 2024. “Doing well in any competition shows that the images you are producing are working,” he said, clearly still buzzing from his win. “After reaching the finals last year, I’m absolutely delighted to have gone one step further.”
The winning moment came during four days of trekking through Rwanda’s misty Virunga Mountains, where Mark encountered the Amahoro gorilla family.
“One young male was especially keen to show off his acrobatic flair: pirouetting, tumbling, and high kicking,” Mark explained. “Watching his performance was pure joy, and I’m thrilled to have captured his playful spirit.”
His prize? A dream safari in Kenya’s Masai Mara – perfect for pursuing his lifelong ambition of photographing big cats on the African plains.
This year’s competition showcased incredible diversity, with standout performances from emerging photographers:
- Grayson Bell (USA, 16 and under) won the Junior category with “Baptism of an unwilling convert” – a dramatic wrestling match between two frogs that looks more like an aquatic soap opera
- Paula Rustemeier (Germany, 25 and under) captured playful foxes “hitting the dance floor” in her winning shot
- Tatjana Epp (Germany) filmed a surfing heron that clearly missed its calling as a professional wave rider
Other winners included Warren Price’s perfectly timed “Headlock” in the Bird category, Jenny Stock’s cheerfully grinning fish in “Smiley,” and Maggie Hoffman’s chimpanzee portfolio aptly titled “Digging for Gold” – we’ll let you imagine what that involves!
While the competition celebrates the lighter side of wildlife, there’s a serious conservation message underneath all the giggles. Stefan Maier from Nikon Europe praised how the winners “use joy, skills and imagination to capture the natural world,” inspiring people to “connect with and care for our planet’s remarkable wildlife.”
