A little owl falling off a branch beat a couple of bears in a compromising position and a pair of monkeys apparently riding a motorbike to win the annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Award.

More than 3,500 entries from 86 countries were submitted, capturing the mischief, mayhem and downright clumsiness of creatures.

The overall winner was Tibor Kercz who wowed the judges with his well-timed photo of an owl clumsily trying to regain its footing on a branch.

Jean-Jacques Alcalay was highly commended for his snap of a blue wildebeest appearing to ride a wave of hundreds of other wildebeest in Masai Mara, Kenya (Jean-Jacques Alcalay/ Barcroft ) (Jean-Jacques Alcalay/ Barcroft)

Taken in Opusztaszer, Hungary, he won a safari in Kenya as well as a trophy handmade by disabled men and women in Tanzania.

While he won the overall competition, others triumphed in four other categories: On The Land, Under The Sea, Portfolio and Juniors.

Judges, including comedian Hugh Dennis and presenter Kate Humble, chose the winners.

John Threlfall won the Up In The Air Category, with a photo of ducks flying through the sky over Preston, with one soaring in front of a plane tail.

The On The Land category was clinched by Andrea Zampatti, who captured the joyful expression of a dormouse atop a flower in Italy.

In the Junior section Jodie Ramackers was victorious for her photo of a rhino appearing to mount a dirt mound.

And Troy Mayne won Under The Sea for capturing a fish being slapped by a bored-looking turtle.

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 Show all 14 1 /14 The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 A young elephant seals looks shocked at his friends revelation in George Cathcart's "WTF?!", taken in San Simeon, California George Cathcart / CWPA / Barcroft The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 A Green Turtle vs a Napoleon Maori Wrasse in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia Troy Mayne / CWPA / Barcroft The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 Andrea Zampatti won the On The Land category with this precious snap in Italy Andrea Zampatti / CWPA / Barcroft The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) mother with cub hitching a ride on mama's bum. Wapusk National Park in Manitoba, Canada Daisy Gilardini / CWPA / Barcroft The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 A sea otter pictured cheering after sleep in early morning in Elkhorn Slough, California Penny Palmer / CWPA / Barcroft The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 An owl struggles to keep his grip as his owl friends look the other way in Tibor Kercz's "Help!!!" in Opusztaszer, Hungary Tibor Kercz / CWPA / Barcroft Im The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 A red fox surveys his shot in Douglas Croft's "Must Have Three-Putted" Douglas Croft / CWPA / Barcroft The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 Two mudskippers sing their hearts out on tidal mudflats, taken in Krabi, Thailand Daniel Trim / CWPA / Barcroft The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 Jean-Jacques Alcalay was highly commended for his snap of a blue wildebeest appearing to ride a wave of hundreds of other wildebeest in Masai Mara, Kenya Jean-Jacques Alcalay/ Barcroft The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 A wild rabbit seen collecting nesting material in Belgium Flanders, Bredene Olivier Colle / CWPA / Barcroft The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 Three king penguins approach the only church on South Georgia Island appearing to be headed for services. Titled as Mom, do we always have to be the first ones at church? Carl Henry / CWPA / Barcroft The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 The Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) tried to hide in the bush for a quick tryst, but they were surely caught in the act Bence Mate / CWPA / Barcroft The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 A bunch of Widgeon pictured flying but one was seen flying exactly in front of a high airline plane, taken in Preston John Threlfall / CWPA / Barcroft The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2017 These two monkeys broke away from their group to 'test drive' a motorbike parked near the entrance to the reserve in Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, Indonesia Katy Laveck Foster / CWPA / Barcroft

Each category winner was awarded a THINK TANK camera bag and a certificate.

Other highly commended entries included two bears getting frisky in Harghita, Romania, taken by Bence Mate, and a wildebeest appearing to surf the herd in Masai Mara, Kenya, snapped by Jean-Jacques Alcalay.

A pair of mischievous monkeys appearing to ride a motorbike in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, and shocked seals in San Simeon, California, were also among the judge’s favourites.

The Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) tried to hide in the bush for a quick tryst, but they were surely caught in the act (Bence Mate / CWPA / Barcroft)

The competition, founded by photographers Tom Sullam and Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE, is aimed at raising conservation issues.

Mr Joynson-Hicks said: “It’s been a real success this year, the quality of images has improved substantially and we have had more entries and from more countries.

“We had many more entries, from more countries – 86 in total this year – and with a much higher calibre of photograph.

“For me one of my favourites was the fox peeing in the golf hole, I know that there are lots of people who feel the same way about golf!