A fox, face-planted in the snow, lifts his hind legs in a graceful, gymnastic pose; a “winged-bear” sits in a river and two African lions share a good laugh.

These are among the 40 finalists for this year's Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. The contest received about 2,200 entries from 75 countries. The entrants will be judged by wildlife experts and photographers, including competition founder Paul Joynson-Hicks.

While the photos are meant to entertain, Joynson-Hicks tells Here & Now‘s Robin Young that the contest has a more profound goal to educate people around the world about conservation.

Guest

Paul Joynson-Hicks, wildlife photographer, founder of the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards. He tweets @safarisnapper.

Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit NPR.

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