In Pictures: The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2018 Published duration 22 November 2018

A shocked squirrel has scooped the overall prize in this year's Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

Out of thousands of entries from around the world, Mary McGowan, from Tampa, Florida, won the overall prize with her photo titled Caught in the Act.

Other entrants included an exasperated bear, a smiley shark and a rhino appearing to wear a tutu.

Here is a selection of some of the hilarious winners and highly commended entries.

Winning photos

image copyright Mary McGowan/CWPA/Barcroft Images image caption Mary McGowan's photo of a shocked squirrel was the overall winner, as well as taking the People's Choice and Creatures of the Land awards

image copyright Shane Keena/CWPA/Barcroft Images image caption Shane Keena won the Creatures of the Air prize with this photo of an owl apparently playing peek-a-boo

image copyright Tanya Houppermans/CWPA/Barcroft Images image caption Smile for the camera! Tanya Houpperman won the Under the Sea category with this photo of a grinning blue shark

image copyright Arshdeep Singh/CWPA/Barcroft Images image caption This surprised owl in Kapurthala, India, won Arshdeep Singh the Junior Award

image copyright Valtteri Mulkahain/CWPA/Barcroft Images image caption Valtteri Mulkahainen won the Amazing Internet Portfolio category with a series of pictures of a family of brown bears in Finland

'Highly Commended' photos

image copyright Kallol Mukherjee/CWPA/Barcroft Images image caption A rhino appears to wear a peacock-feather tutu in Kallol Mukherjee's highly commended photo, taken in Gorumara National Park, India

image copyright Danielle D'Ermo/CWPA/Barcroft Images image caption This exasperated bear was snapped by Danielle D'Ermo in Alaska

image copyright Roie Galitz/CWPA/Barcroft Images image caption Roie Galitz spotted this budding photographer in Svalbard

image copyright Geert Weggen/CWPA/Barcroft Images image caption Geert Weggen photographed this red squirrel doing the splits in Sweden

image copyright Barney Koszalka/CWPA/Barcroft Images image caption A moose blows a raspberry in Barney Koszalka's photo, taken in Wyoming, US

image copyright Sergey Savvi/CWPA/Barcroft Images image caption Two lizards appear to do the tango in Wilpattu, Sri Lanka, in Sergev Savvi's picture

image copyright Sergey Savvi/CWPA/Barcroft Images image caption Sergey Savvi also snapped these two dusky leaf monkeys in a highly dramatic fight in Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards is releasing a book, which helps support the Born Free Foundation charity.