The award for best comedy wildlife photo goes to... | Tom Sullam

Summary

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TED Talks Daily | “The award for best comedy wildlife photo goes to...”

Guest: Tom Sullam
Date: March 11, 2026

Overview

In this engaging TED Talk, Tom Sullam, professional photographer and co-founder of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, shares the transformative and uplifting power of humor in nature photography. Through laugh-out-loud animal moments, Sullam explores how relatable, funny images can foster empathy, drive conservation, and shift our perception of wildlife from distant to everyday and essential.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power of Humor in Conservation (00:33–01:17, 12:17–13:06)

• Sullam and the Awards team use humor as an entry point to raise awareness for conservation.
• Instead of doom-laden messaging, their competition highlights the joy and silliness in the animal world—making conservation more accessible and positive.
• Humor in wildlife images is “a positive force to influence human behavior...to look up and appreciate what they get from wildlife.” (Tom Sullam, 12:58)

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards: Origin and Essence (05:19–06:21, 08:29–09:31)

• Sullam discusses his background and the surprise growth of the competition, which now receives tens of thousands of global entries each year.
• Judges seek authentic, funny moments—not staged or AI-generated images.
• “The success of the competition is based on authenticity...the pictures have to be funny. Fortunately, life is filled with these moments just waiting to be captured.” (Tom Sullam, 12:44)

Memorable Award-Winning Images and Audience Reactions

The “Angry Black Bird” (01:47–01:57, approx.):

• A bird sporting the “most unbelievably negative scowl,” encapsulating anthropomorphic humor that draws the audience in.

The Bear with Wings (06:21–06:46):

• A brown bear stands so two seagull wings line up perfectly behind its head, humorously resembling angelic wings.

The Speed-Limited Cheetah (06:53–07:09):

• A cheetah sits obediently by a “40 mph” sign, playing into jokes about their unmatched speed.

Air-Guitar Kangaroo (07:20–07:33):

• A kangaroo caught mid-motion appears to strum an invisible guitar, prompting laughter from the audience.

Ballerina Otter (07:37–07:53):

• An otter balances gracefully amidst falling leaves, resembling a perfect ballet dancer.

Jedi Squirrel (08:03):

• A squirrel with both paws outstretched, “as if shouting stop...as if he was a Jedi,” showcasing the epic and silly side of animal antics.

“It's a show stopping photograph.”
– Tom Sullam (08:18)

Animals Mirroring Human Life and Behavior (08:50–11:24)

• The photos reflect family dynamics, from bickering seals to lion couples where one partner does all the talking.
• Parent-child and peer parallels are drawn:
  • “A male lion and a female lion...she is roaring into the lion's face...” (09:31)
  • “Two puffins—one with a mouthful of fish, the other looking on forlornly,” showing envy and sibling rivalry. (09:56)
• The “teenagers”:
  • Nose-picking gorilla, lion cubs lazing around, and a cross-eyed chimpanzee staring at a leaf, likened to human phone addiction (10:22–10:54).
  • A duck’s breath on a cold morning is “smoking,” reminiscent of rebellious youth (11:15).

Humor Is Universal & Cross-cultural (08:29–08:50)

• The humor in the images transcends boundaries: “Your reaction...is unconditionally personal...makes them cross-border and multicultural...why this competition has succeeded.”

The Decisive Moment and Shared Humanity with Wildlife (13:06–14:21)

• Referencing Cartier Bresson’s “decisive moment” in photography, Sullam points to a lion cub about to “grab the male lion's testicles” as one unforgettable shot, blending humor and empathy (13:30–13:44).

• “Life has been speeding up...being a photographer, I actively slowed everything down...the humor in these images gives us the power...to convince people that there is a different way to think about wildlife.” (Tom Sullam, 12:17–13:06)

Favorite Image & Encapsulating a “Bad Day” (13:49–14:12)

“My favorite image...buffalo in East Africa with a white egret standing on its head...the egret poos...it’s everything about a bad day we all go through.”
– Tom Sullam (13:49)

Wonder, Joy & Conservation Action for All (14:12–16:42)

• The joy and wonder of these moments inspire empathy, which leads to real behavioral change—regardless of location.
• Practical Conservation Advice:
  • Even city-dwellers can make a difference: “She can get some flower pots and have some bees there. The lions will be saved if everyone does their little step.” (Tom Sullam, 15:19)
• Final reminder:
  • “The diversity on the planet is a privilege that we should cherish.” (Narrator, 15:55)

The Lasting Image and Message (16:20–16:42)

• Sullam concludes with an indelible, cheeky photograph:
  • “A turtle in Australia whose fin appears to be flicking the middle finger at the camera. It was exactly what I needed to demonstrate how wildlife does need a bit more attention and care.” (Tom Sullam, 16:20)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Humor and Empathy:

  • “Seeing the funny side of animals is not just for six year old kids to have a laugh at...it should be as important a tool in getting people to be aware of what’s going on in the world.” (12:28)

• On Small Steps Making a Big Impact:

  • “If everyone took a tiny step, that would be a huge step on a global scale.” (15:19)

• On the Lesson from Comedy Wildlife Photos:

  • “These images raise our spirits. They create a positive emotion. That positive emotion leads to empathy, and it’s empathy which leads to attitudinal and behavioral change.” (14:35)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:33–01:17 – Using humor for conservation
• 05:19–06:21 – Origins of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
• 07:20–08:03 – Iconic photos: Bear, Cheetah, Kangaroo, Otter
• 08:29–09:47 – Humor, universality, human parallels
• 10:22–11:24 – Animal “teenagers” and relatable moments
• 12:17–13:06 – Why humor changes hearts and minds
• 13:30–14:12 – “Decisive moments” and memorable images
• 14:21–16:20 – Practical steps, privilege of diversity
• 16:20–16:42 – Outrageous closing photo and final call for care

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Closing Takeaway

Tom Sullam’s talk invites us to “be custodians of these tender moments,” to find wonder—even hilarity—in the world around us, and to use that joy as fuel for protecting wildlife, wherever we live. Even a small act—planting a pot of flowers for bees—can ripple out to make the entire planet more vibrant and resilient.

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Transcript

[Elise Hu]

You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hu. Even in the darkest of times, there are signs all around us that there's so much beauty in the world and that is worth stopping, even if just for a second, to notice and appreciate the wonder of it all. For photographer and wildlife enthusiast Tom Sullum, noticing nature is the greatest way to learn how to see this wonder and better protect. He does this with a twist.

[Narrator/Host]

We wanted to use humor to address the serious topic of conservation, and in so doing, encourage people to look up and appreciate what they get from wildlife.

[Elise Hu]

Today, he helps to run the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, a global annual competition whose mission is to help us enjoy the silly, beautiful wonders of the natural world around us in order to support conservation. In November 2025, he took to the TED stage to share what he's learned from the thousands of submissions they've received over the years. And he did, by sharing a series of ever more amusing and adorable photos of wildlife, which, as you'll hear, makes us laugh and ooh and ahh. And yet, they also offer a simple and profound truth.

[Narrator/Host]

The pictures I've shown you today are a reminder to us that it's our job to be custodians of these tender moments, that we should accept coexistence rather than complete separation from wildlife.

[Elise Hu]

We wanted to make sure that this message could be shared with our podcast listeners as well. So we're doing something a little different. On the feed. We reached out to Tom and asked if he would describe the images he shared in his talk for our listening audiences, which we've included here alongside portions of his talk.

[Tom Sullam]

The second image comes up and it's a black bird with the most unbelievably negative scowl. It's the most perfectly angry bird you'll ever see.

[Elise Hu]

That's coming up right after a short break from our sponsors. This episode is brought to you by Duck. AI. AI can be incredibly useful, but sometimes it gives me pause to think that my chats might be saved somewhere forever. Between work stuff and embarrassing personal questions, a lot of us share more with AI chatbots than we realize, and information shouldn't come at the cost of your privacy. That's why DuckDuckGo built Duck so you can chat privately with the same AIs you might already be using, like ChatGPT or Claude, and protect your data from hackers, scammers, and data hungry companies. There's no account required, it's completely free, plus it's from DuckDuckGo, known for protecting your data, not collecting it, so you can chat freely without worrying about your AI conversations getting stored or exploited. If you want to use AI without giving up your privacy, visit Duck AI Talk today. That's Duck AI Talk, a private way to chat with AI from DuckDuckGo, where AI is always optional and private. This episode is brought to you by Grow Therapy. Fresh air, longer days, a chance to reset this season let therapy be part of your spring cleaning, clearing mental clutter, shaking off stuckness, and building something better. Grow Therapy helps you get there. Therapy can be a space to slow down, reflect and make sense of what you're carrying. Whether that's spread work, stress, relationship tension, anxiety, or just that feeling you're stretched too thin. Grow connects you with thousands of independent licensed therapists across the US offering virtual and in person sessions, including on nights and weekends. Whatever challenges you're facing, Grow Therapy is here to help. Grow accepts over 100 insurance plans, including Medicaid in some states. Sessions average about $21 with insurance and some pay as little as nothing, depending on their plan. Visit growththerapy.comted to get started. That's growththerapy.com Ted availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan. This episode is brought to you by Bombas. Lately, I've been thinking about the small things that make a big difference in my day. You know those upgrades you don't realize you needed until you try them? That's exactly what happened with bombas. I picked up their women's Pima cotton V neck tee, which is what I own, and now I reach for it constantly, whether I'm recording or just doing school pickup. It works. Dress it up with a blazer. Keep it casual with jeans. It's that rare piece that adapts to whatever your day throws at you and their base layers. Just game changing. The underwear and tees are so soft and breathable you'll wonder why you settled for anything less. Here's the best part. Every purchase means an essential clothing item goes to someone experiencing housing insecurity. One purchase equals one don. They've already given over 150 million items. Ready to upgrade your basics? Head over to bombas.com TTD and use code TTD for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O-M-B-A-S.com TTD code TTD at checkout.

[Tom Sullam]

My name is Tom Sallam. I'm currently in London in the uk, where I'm from. I'm a professional photographer. I specialise in architecture, which has got nothing to do with wildlife. But I'm here to talk to you about my other project, which is the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards that I founded.

[Narrator/Host]

I'd like to introduce you to this comedy wildlife competition. Now, no one's day will ever be as chilled as that of a raccoon. Indeed, life throws bad days at all of us. Now, the pictures you're seeing today are the result of a wildlife photography competition that we created to recognize the positive values of wildlife and how it impacts all of us. Now, as the competition developed, we started to receive thousands of photographs, more than we'd expected. And these photographs began to communicate with us in many different ways. But we began to appreciate the qualities and charm of these animals, and we began to put pictures together that told a story.

[Tom Sullam]

One of our favorite pictures is the picture of a brown bear looking very innocent in a small river area, with little seagulls floating by. But what makes this picture ridiculous is the timing, because behind the bear are these two beautiful wings that come out either side of its head as if it's part of the bear, which it isn't. But the photographer did a marvellous job here.

[Narrator/Host]

And everyone knows that cheetahs are the fastest mammal on the land, but no one knows that. They're terrified of being caught speeding.

[Tom Sullam]

We have this image of a cheetah, which can run up to 75 miles per hour, but it's sitting very politely on a little dusty track, staring at a 40 mile per hour sign as if this cheetah's understood. Well, unfortunately, I won't be able to use my speed here.

[Narrator/Host]

Away from the speed merchants. You've got the sportos, the sport jocks. Then you've got your left brains, the creatives, the ones that maybe focus more on their music. Air guitar in the wild.

[Tom Sullam]

At this point in the talk, I chose this particular image of a kangaroo in this beautiful yellow flower field doing what can only be described as air guitar. And the audience reacted as I'd hoped,

[Narrator/Host]

and then maybe like dancing, as if nobody was watching.

[Tom Sullam]

One of the most beautiful images that's been entered is an image of an otter surrounded by falling green leaves, but in the most incredible ballerina position. It's like a dancer frozen in time. It's a beautiful photograph.

[Narrator/Host]

Beyond that, you have the superheroes, the ones that influence the Marvel comics. The Jedi squirrel, most powerful Jedi in the world. He controls all the nuts.

[Tom Sullam]

It's important with these images that you show the ridiculous behavior as well as the stunning behavior. And one of our previous winners is this picture of A squirrel. Both front feet are pointing out as if shouting stop. As if he was a Jedi, as if he has full control with his mouth and his eyes wide open. It's a show stopping photograph.

[Narrator/Host]

So what you're finding funny about these pictures, hopefully is a little bit different to your neighbor and to the neighbor next to them, and so on and so forth. And the result is that it's unconditionally personal. Your reaction, which makes these pictures very accessible to everyone, but it also makes them cross border and multicultural, which is why this competition has succeeded.

[Tom Sullam]

I wanted to demonstrate how two different people might look at the same picture and see two different things. And this is an image of two seals. To me, both laughing outrageously at having a good time together. But to the person next to me, when we first saw it, it could

[Narrator/Host]

also just be a very casual backhanded slap. It depends how you see it. We started to see some more similarities as we looked at these pictures. This is the same family row that we all have. And within these families you have partnerships of mature and intelligent adults who talk and understand each other. And those partnerships normally made up of a talker and maybe a listener.

[Tom Sullam]

To drive this point home, I chose this picture of a male lion and a female lion. She is roaring into the lion's face and he is literally backing away from the fumes that she's throwing onto him. It's a very anthropomorphic image.

[Narrator/Host]

The children also seem to show similarities to us humans. They need little and no supervision. They share without being asked, which is lovely.

[Tom Sullam]

There's a beautiful picture of two puffins. One of them has got his mouth full with a dozen fish and his friend next to him is staring at him with sad eyes because he came back from the fish with nothing. And there is not going to be any sharing, I don't think.

[Narrator/Host]

And then you have the teenage years. Well, the teenage years, they do the same thing. They have no awareness whatsoever.

[Tom Sullam]

During the talk, I take the audience with me to discuss adolescents and teenagers. And I open with an image of a gorilla in Uganda picking his nose.

[Narrator/Host]

They have the very, very common trait of the staying in bed all day illness.

[Tom Sullam]

As a follow up, I showed a lion cub resting very unusually on the end of a tree trunk with his bum in the air.

[Narrator/Host]

And then the even more common trait of too much scre.

[Tom Sullam]

We had one image of a young chimpanzee staring at a leaf and his eyes are literally cross eyed. So it seemed to match exactly the troubles we all have with our own phones.

[Narrator/Host]

And if they're not picking their nose on the screen or in bed. That's the cool kids. And they're out the back having a cigarette.

[Tom Sullam]

This is a very simple image of a duck and the early morning cold is allowing its breath to be very visible, so it looks a bit like the duck is smoking.

[Narrator/Host]

Someone said duck smoking quack, which I love. But if you put a camera on these guys, they react like all of us, they love it. We came together because we wanted to use a positive force to influence human behavior. We wanted to use humor to address the serious topic of conservation and in so doing, encourage people to look up and appreciate what they get from wildlife. Too many messages are negative about conservation. We wanted to do it the other way. The heroes of this competition are the real photographs of wildlife doing funny things. The success of the competition is based on authenticity and the amount of AI talk is great because this means we're slightly different to everyone else. Well, actually, the success of the competition, the pictures have to be funny. Fortunately, life is filled with these moments just waiting to be captured.

[Tom Sullam]

You know, life has been speeding up. I think technology has made everything so much quicker. Being a photographer, I actively slowed everything down. And so I think you suddenly do start to notice and appreciate what's around you. And I think the beauty of the humor and how we realized that the humor in these images would give us a power. And that power was of being able to convince people that there is a different way to think about wildlife. And if you can think about wildlife differently and see it differently, then your attitude can also change and become more empathetic towards it. Seeing the funny side of animals is not just for six year old kids to have a laugh at. It's from children through to adults, it should be as important a tool in getting people to be aware of what's going on in the world.

[Narrator/Host]

This is our 10th year and each year we get tens of thousands more entries, unbelievably. And they get better and better and harder and harder to judge. But we do get there eventually. Cartier Bresson, French photographer, talks about the decisive moment. That moment when you see an image through your camera and you press, click. And you take that shot and you make it permanent. This young lion would discover what a decisive moment could also mean.

[Tom Sullam]

And to drive this point home, we have this incredible image of a young lion cub reaching out with his claws visibly showing and he's about to grab the male lion's testicles. It's going to be painful, but as

[Narrator/Host]

I said at the beginning, life is not all good. We have our bad days. That's my thing.

[Tom Sullam]

Towards the end of the talk, I really desperately wanted to include my favorite image, which is an image of a buffalo in East Africa with a white egret standing on its head. They do this very often. What they don't do very often is then poo on top of the buffalo's head. And you can see it very clearly running down the front of the buffalo's nose. It encapsulates everything about a bad day that we all go through.

[Narrator/Host]

But the bad days mean that life is also full of joy and wonder. And sometimes that joy and wonder converge onto the absolutely ludicrous.

[Tom Sullam]

And so here I chose a photo that really would genuinely show that wonder. And it's a snapping turtle with a dragonfly rested on the snapping turtle's nose. And the impression is that the snapping turtle is genuinely smiling at seeing his friend again.

[Narrator/Host]

Our culture over the years has grown to create a divide between us and wildlife. The halcyon days of coexistence are now long gone. But we believe we can change that balance just by changing the narrative from negative to positive. My 13 year old son, rather innocently and surprisingly sweetly, said he thought these pictures made the animals feel more human, more equal, in my mind, more relatable. And I agree with him. These images raise our spirits. They create a positive emotion. That positive emotion leads to empathy, and it's empathy which leads to attitudinal and behavioral change.

[Tom Sullam]

Don't just see wildlife as something that happens miles away from home. It's everywhere. It's pigeons, it's squirrels, it's, you know, it's everything all around us. If everyone took a tiny step, that would be a huge step on a global scale. Someone wrote in saying, what could I do? I live in a block of flats in Chicago. If I said, go and save all the lions, the lady in Chicago is not going to be able to do that, so it's not much use. But she can get some flower pots and have some bees there. The lions will be saved if everyone does their little step. So I think don't be overwhelmed by the challenges ahead. We're still okay. There's still a chance.

[Narrator/Host]

The pictures I've shown you today, which are a tiny fraction of the thousands that we have, are a reminder to us that it's our job to be custodians of these tender moments, that we should accept coexistence rather than separation, complete separation from wildlife. And finally, that diversity on the planet is a privilege that we should cherish

[Tom Sullam]

however, to finish the talk, I know I needed to put in an image that would land and stay with everyone. And you have this turtle in Australia whose fin appears to be flicking the middle finger at the camera. And it was exactly what I needed to demonstrate how wildlife does need a bit more attention and care.

[Narrator/Host]

Because we may have to be honest with ourselves and accept that some species may already have had enough of us. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[Elise Hu]

That was Tom Sullam at Ted next 2025, and for those that are able, I would highly recommend watching the video of his talk on Ted.com, you won't regret it. If you're curious about Ted's curation, find out [e-mail] curationguidelines and that's it for today. This episode was produced by Lucy Little, edited by Alejandra Salazar and Banban Chang, fact checked by the TED Research team and engineered by Lucy Little. TED Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective. Our team includes Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Greene, Lucy Little, Emma Tobner, and Tansika Sangmarnivam. Additional support from Daniela Ballaraiso. I'm Elise Hu. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed. Thanks for listening.

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