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Three simple yet effective tools for helping a child through a panic attack

Three simple yet effective tools for helping a child through a panic attack
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The first time one of my kids had a panic attack, I didn't have any idea what to do. The pounding heartbeat, racing thoughts, shortness of breath, and feeling like you're losing control are disconcerting symptoms for adults to experience, but they're even more alarming for a child who doesn't know why it's happening. As a parent, it's scary not knowing how to help your child when they clearly need help.

The exact cause of panic disorder is unknown, but experts estimate it affects close to 4 percent of the population. Like other anxiety disorders, it also tends to run in families, which appears to be the case for my kiddos. But even people who don't have a full-fledged disorder can occasionally experience a panic attack, and it's good to know what actually helps.

My youngest was around six years old when he had his first bout of panic. It wasn't long after we'd tucked him into bed when he called for me with a shaky urgency in his voice. When I got to his room, he said he couldn't breathe and that his heart was going really fast. "I don't know what's going on," he said through chattering teeth. "My whole body won't stop shaking and I'm freaking out."

I immediately recognized the signs of panic, having gone through it with his older sister, but he was a lot younger than she had been when she had her first episode. Thankfully, the tools we used with her also worked with him.

Here's how we help our kids through a panic attack:

1) Verbalize what's happening to them.

Panic attacks are intense for the person experiencing them and saying something like "Calm down" isn't really helpful. They want to calm down, they just can't.

For our kids, explaining exactly what's happening, what they can expect to happen, and what they actually can control is the first step toward regaining calm. After the first time through it, they don't need this much detail, but here's a basic script of where we started:

"You're okay, even though it doesn't feel like it. You're just having a panic attack. The fear part of your brain is sort of stuck for a bit, and it keeps revving up your body. It's like your brain thinks there's a tiger chasing you, even though there isn't. That makes your heart beat really fast and makes it hard to breathe. You might feel like you're losing control. You might even feel like you're going crazy. But it'll pass soon, I promise. Panic attacks are just temporary glitches. Your brain and body will calm back own, usually within ten minutes or so. Let's work on helping you feel better while it works its way out of your system."

2) Use "box breathing" to help them catch their breath.

Breathing intentionally is one of the quickest ways to reset when your body is in a heightened state. The best technique we've encountered for this is an exercise called "box breathing" or "square breathing." It's actually a tool Navy Seals use to keep calm under stress, but it's so simple even kids can use it.

Slowly draw the shape of a square in the air, starting from the bottom left-hand corner. As you draw the first line upward, have your child breathe in for a count of five. Then have them hold their breath while you draw the top line, then exhale while you draw down the right side. Finally, have them hold the exhale while completing the square with the bottom line. Then repeat—breathe in, hold, breath out, hold. Around four or five seconds for each breath and hold wonders for getting breathing under control, which helps calm the brain and body.

Here's a quick video that shows how it works. (With our kids, I usually draw the box for them while talking them through the breaths and holds at first, then have them start drawing the box with me as they start to calm down.)

Box breathing relaxation technique: how to calm feelings of stress or anxietyyoutu.be


3) Ground them in reality with the "4-3-2-1" exercise.

Panic is the brain gripped by a state of fear that doesn't reflect what's actually happening. It's basically the amygdala—the fight or flight center of the brain—wigging out for no apparent reason. The intense fear triggers the fight or flight response, forming a sort of feedback loop, with the body freaking out because the brain's freaking out, which makes the body freak out, and so on.

Getting the brain to focus on the body's physical senses can help break that loop and bring the body and brain back to a state of calm (or at least calmer). For this, we use a simple grounding exercise we call "4-3-2-1." (What we do is a variation of the 5-4-3-2-1 method developed by Captain Tom Bunn to help people cope with a fear of flying. You can see that method here.)

Have the child look for and then name, out loud:

- Four things they can see. ("I see my lamp. I see the cat. I see the window. I see my teddy bear.").

- Three things they can feel. ("I feel my pillow. I feel your hand. I feel the sheets.")

- Two things they can hear. ("I hear cars outside. I hear the heater running.")

- One thing they can smell. ("I smell your lotion.")

I always have the kids say a full sentence for each thing they count, as that reinforces the physical aspect of the exercise. Without fail, my kiddos are always calmer when they get to what they can smell. Super simple, but super effective.

It's important to note that these exercises don't stop an attack in its tracks. Panic usually just has to run its course. What they do is take the edge off, make the attack more tolerable, and help the kiddo wait it out without feeling like they have no control at all while it's happening.

Panic attacks and anxiety attacks (which share similar symptoms and can respond to the same tools) aren't fun for kids or for parents. But when a kid knows what's happening and a parent has tools to help them manage it, they're a lot less scary for everyone involved.

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5 things that made us smile this week

The animal edition!

True

Been stressed this week? Who hasn’t. That’s why we’re bringing you the latest in good news—five animal-themed stories we guarantee will put a smile on your face.

This week, we’re celebrating:

The most entertaining animal photos you've ever seen

Jason Moore/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 and © Tzahi Finkelstein /Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023

Need a laugh? How about a dozen laughs? Look no further than the 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, a competition started in 2015 that focuses on the lighter side of wildlife photography. More than 1,800 photographers from around the world submitted photos, and the finalists—from a kangaroo playing air guitar to an arguing set of greenfinches—will absolutely make your day.

Healthier, happier, rescued pets

Hundreds of thousands of pets are relinquished to shelters each year, and many vulnerable pet populations—such as disabled and elderly dogs—can be hard to place in loving homes. Fortunately, Subaru has sponsored the rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption of more than 134,000 of these pets through the Subaru Share the Love® Event. As the largest corporate donor to the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), Subaru and its retailers are donating a minimum of $300 to charities like the ASPCA for every new Subaru purchase or lease during the 2024 Subaru Share the Love Event, happening now through January 2, 2025.

This animal-centric (and adorable) creative writing assignment 

Amy McKinney, a third-grade teacher in Pennsylvania, recently had a genius idea for teaching her class persuasive writing: Rather than have them formulate an argument for an imagined audience (boring!), McKinney partnered with a local animal shelter and had her class write persuasive descriptions of each animal to help them get adopted. Each student chose a pet to write about and sent their essays to the shelter to display and post to the shelter’s social media channels. Student engagement was “tremendous,” said McKinney, and there’s no doubt these persuasive paragraphs made a huge difference in these shelter pet’s lives. Adorable.

The dog who saved his owner with CPR (yes, really)

Dogs have made the news for saving humans before, but have you ever heard of a dog performing CPR? That’s exactly what Bear, a Siberian Husky-Golden Retriever mix, did in 2022 when he found his owner unconscious on the floor after suffering a major heart attack. Not only was Bear able to quickly call for help, he even jumped on his owner’s chest repeatedly while someone else called the paramedics. Thanks to Bear, the owner survived what should have been a fatal heart attack. Now that deserves some head scritches.

Bee populations have reached a record high

macro shot photography of beePhoto by Jenna Lee on Unsplash

Honeybees are essential to the planet, as they pollinate over 130 types of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. For years, honeybee numbers have been in decline—but happily, that’s starting to change. The US has added almost a million bee colonies in the past five years, with more than 3.8 million honeybees in total.

For more ways to smile, check out how Subaru is sharing the love this holiday season.

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Woman who was pressured to quit her job to raise stepdaughter's baby makes a bold decision

This sparked an important conversation about family responsibility.

via Pixabay

When parents can't step up, should grandparents step in?

A story that recently went viral on Reddit’s AITA forum asks an important question: What is a parent’s role in taking care of their grandchildren? The story is even further complicated because the woman at the center of the controversy is a stepparent.

At the time of writing her post, the woman, 38, met her husband Sam, 47, ten years ago, when his daughter, Leah, 25, was 15. The couple married five years ago after Leah had moved out to go to college.

Leah’s mom passed away when she was 10.

When Leah became pregnant she wanted to keep the baby, but her boyfriend didn’t. After the disagreement, the boyfriend broke up with her. This forced Leah to move back home because she couldn’t afford to be a single parent and live alone on a teacher’s salary.

Leah’s story is familiar to many young mothers facing similar difficulties.

The father isn’t involved in the baby’s life as a caretaker or financially. Sadly, research shows that 33% of all children in the U.S. are born without their biological fathers living in the home.

a young mother holds her baby

Single motherhood comes with unique hardships.

via Alexander Grey/Unsplash

The new mother is a teacher and can’t afford to live on her own with a child. In 2019, a study found that out the top 50 U.S. cities, Pittsburgh is the only one where a new teacher could afford rent.

Today, Portland, OR has joined the very short list of cities where an "average teacher can afford 91.3% of apartments within community distance of their school" according to a recent study.

The stressors of taking care of the baby made Leah realize she needed help.

“But once she had the baby around 4 months back, Leah seemed to realize having a baby is not the sunshine and rainbows she thought it was,” the woman wrote on Reddit. “She barely got any sleep during the last four months. All the while Sam was helping her with the baby while I did almost all chores myself.”

“Now her leave is ending. She did not want to leave the baby at daycare or with a nanny,” the woman continued. “Sam and I both work as well.”

Leah asked her stepmother if she would stay home with the baby. The stepmother said no because she never wanted to have a baby and she has a job. “I asked why Leah can't stay home with the baby herself,” the woman wrote. “She said how she was young and had to build a career. I said many people take breaks to raise kids, and she broke down crying about how she was so tired all the time being a mom and needed something else in her life too.”

A woman holds a newborn baby.

The demands of new motherhood are usually all-encompassing.

via Pixabay

After the woman told her stepdaughter no, her husband pressured her to stay home with the baby. But she refused to give up her job to raise her stepdaughter’s child. “Leah said yesterday how she wished her mom was alive since she would have had her back. She said I didn't love her, and my husband is also mad at me,” the woman wrote. The woman asked the Reddit community if she was in the wrong for “refusing to help my stepdaughter with the baby,” and the community responded with rapturous support.

"[The woman] should tell her husband to knock it off and stop trying to pressure her into raising his daughter’s baby. If he wants a family member to look after her baby while she works, then he can do it," user Heavy_Sand5228 wrote.

"This is Leah's baby that she alone chose to have. That doesn't obligate you to change YOUR life to suit her desires. The whole business of saying you don't love her because you won't quit your job to watch her baby is manipulative and messed up, and I'm shocked your husband is siding with her," user SupremeCourtJust-a** added.

Leah and many women like her are in this situation because, in many places, teachers are underpaid, rent is high, and not all dads pay child support, even those required by law.

Another commenter noted that the baby is much more the father’s responsibility than the stepmother's. "To add, Leah should consider seeking child support from her ex. Her kid should be getting that money," Obiterdicta wrote.

While there are resources to help stepparents connect with their stepchildren and step-grandchildren, it's important to remember that the responsibility to raise a child ultimately rests with the parent(s).

This article originally appeared last year.

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Florida IHOP waitress who was fired for feeding a homeless man gets her job back

“I need my job, but I would still do it again,”

Photo credit: screengrab|GoFundMe/Mike Mozart|Flickr

Florida IHop server fired for feeding homeless man gets job back

People experience homelessness for many different reasons, many through no fault of their own. With the cost of living skyrocketing after covid, a lot of people found themselves newly homeless while working full time jobs. But everyone isn't so lucky to have a relative to stay with, or a job to go do daily so they rely on the kindness of strangers to get by.

Victoria Hughes, who has worked at IHOP in Lakeland, Florida since 2013 has a soft spot for people struggling. In November, Hughes met a homeless man that walked into the chain restaurant and informed the server he was hunger. Without a second thought, the server went to the kitchen and came back with a stack of pancakes and some water for the hungry visitor. This act of kindness cost the server her job after informing the manager of her good deed.

The server's actions upset the manager, especially when the homeless man returned later with a family that offered to buy him a meal. Hughes tells WFLA, "He told me the reason behind him being upset [was] because it could cause a loitering issue…or a safety issue for customers.

Charlie Murphy Pancakes GIFGiphy

The manager's reaction was confusing to Hughes because she feels like she did the right thing in that moment, and informed her supervisor so there was no deception. Yet two days later she was let go from her place of employment of 13 years just weeks before the Christmas holiday. Thankfully, for the good hearted server, IHOP contacted her to inform her that she is welcome to return to work. The company even reimbursed her for the days she missed while temporarily unemployed.

Bttf GIF by Back to the Future TrilogyGiphy

This change in stance occurred after Hughes appeared on the news about the incident. Since then, IHOP updated it's policies and trainings to address local food insecurity. Dan Enea of Sunshine Restaurant Partners, an IHOP franchisee released a statement to USA Today saying the incident was investigated and prompted the policy change including additional training for employees around food insecure patrons.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to support those in need within our local community, we will continue to address food insecurity through our partnership with Feeding America and by making a donation to local Lakeland charities that also support this important cause," Enea tells USA Today in the statement.

In the interim of her losing her job and having it offered back, the server started a GoFundMe page to help get her through the holiday season. While the offer for her job is still available, the former server says she's not sure if she will accept the offer at this time. Hughes is still considering her options as it is likely difficult to get over that being fired for being kind without wondering if it may result in more concerns later. Though, it's unclear what her full reasonings are.

"“I need my job, but I would still do it again,” she told WFLA. “I truly would. I would still help somebody if I could. If he asked me for my shirt, I probably would have tried to give him that too.”

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Comedian's viral video perfectly nails how each generation arrives at someone's house

"Millennials will arrive late, but they will text you to let you know they're on their way, just as they're about to get into the shower."

Samuel Peter/Pexels

Boomers knock. Millennials and Gen Z text "here."

Playing with the contrasts between generations has become a modern pastime, as baby boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z see and experience the world quite differently. Generation gaps have always existed, of course, but the tech age has widened those gaps in big ways, sometimes creating challenges, but often resulting in hilarity.

For instance, watching a Gen Zer try to figure out how to use a rotary phone is pure entertainment. The way emojis are used and interpreted varies vastly by age, making for some chuckle-worthy communication mishaps. Slang terms can be hard to keep up with the older you get, but they can also be manipulated by savvy elders to great comedic effect.

And now, comedian Jake Lambert has compared how the different generations arrive at someone's house in a viral video that's been viewed more than 12 million times.

"You've basically got boomers who will turn up completely unannounced any time from about 7:00 in the morning and they will knock on your door just slightly louder than the police using a battering ram carrying out a house raid," Lambert begins.

"And then you've got Gen X. They would have made the plans well in advance, and they would've also checked in a couple of days before just to make sure the plans are definitely still happening," he went on. "You see, Gen X is the forgotten generation and they're so scarred by this title they would've assumed that you'd forgotten not only about the plans but about their very existence."

"Millennials will have hoped that the plans would've been canceled. There's no reason that a millennial will ever actually want to come to your house," he continued. "They will arrive late, but they will text you to let you know they're on their way, just as they're about to get into the shower. And a millennial will never knock on your door. You'll just get a text either saying 'here' or 'outside,' and that's your cue to go and let them in."

"Similarly, Gen Z will never actually knock," he concluded. "But the chances are they won't have to, as they would have been documenting the entire journey from their house to yours, maybe even on Facetime using this angle [camera facing directly up at the chin] as they go along for some reason. Either that or they'll just send a picture of your front door or a selfie of them outside it. And again, just like the millennial, that's your cue to go and rescue them from the outside world."

People felt alternately seen, attacked and validated by Lambert's assessments, with the most common response being "accurate."

"I‘m a millennial, my husband GenX. Scarily accurate! 😂"

"Described this millennial to a T."

"This is surprisingly accurate 😂 I laughed slightly louder than the police using a battering ram…"

"Sooo accurate…guilty of the lateness and ‘here’ text 🙃"

"I must admit I'm a millennial. But knocking on the door feels so aggressive, uknow? 😅😇"

"Millennial texting to say almost there but just started getting dressed to go out. Why do we do this? It's not intentional, at least not for me."

"Honestly your observations are just brilliant! GenX-er here!"

"The Gen Z angle omg 😂😂"

Some people didn't resonate with their generation's description, but there are exceptions to every rule and some people will never fit a stereotype. However, judging by the wave of affirmative responses, Lambert nailed the generational generalities across the board—and did so in a way that allows us all to laugh at ourselves.

You can follow Jake Lambert on Instagram.


This article originally appeared in July.

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'Hot nerd' names are becoming all the rage. A baby name consultant shares her favorites.

“These guys are reading books but have pretty big muscles.”

@namingbebe/TikTok, Netflix/Youtube

Adrian "was invited to the party but instead spent the night reading a Reddit thread about AI."

It’s been the “Revenge of the Nerds” era for a while now. What used to be grounds for bullying—a preference for intellectuals, having some social awkwardness, an intense love of comic books and Dungeons & Dragons, etc.—easily falls under the mainstream attractive category today. So much so that some parents are trying to conjure up these qualities in their baby name selections.

Baby name consultant Colleen Slagen, who previously shared girls names from the 80s that did not age well (sorry, Heathers), was recently asked to come up with a list of “Hot Nerd" boy names.

Just what is a “Hot Nerd Boy"? Slagen gave the example of Seth Cohen from the O.C., played by Adam Brody. Brody himself, who was recently dubbed the ultimate millennial crush for his role as an adorkable hot rabbi in Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, is pretty much the poster child for this nebbish yet lovable trope. But Slagen also noted Cameron James (10 Things I Hate about You, played by James Gordon Levitt) and Matty Flamhaff (13 Going on 30, played by Mark Ruffalo), just to give you the full scope.


Wink Noah Roklov GIFfrom Wink GIFs

With that in mind, here are the “Hot Nerd Boy” names Slagen came up with, along with little lighthearted predictions about their personality:

Dexter, Calvin, Ambrose: "These guys are reading books but have pretty big muscles."

Clark, Spencer, Lyle: "These guys were wearing Crocs and socks before it was cool."

Marshall, Simon, Gideon: "These guys are confidently inviting you to the D&D party they host every Friday night."

Perry, Anson: "They were picked last in gym class, but they have six figures in their bank account from their online poker winnings."

Samuel (not Sam), Art (not Arthur): Slagen didn’t note personally for these, but clearly these guys are above nicknames.

Adrian: "He was invited to the party but instead spent the night reading a Reddit thread about AI."

@namingbebe Inspo by Seth Cohen. #babynames #nametok #nameconsultant #boynames #pregnant #greenscreen ♬ original sound - Colleen

Desmond: Instead of driving to work, he "takes his old Razor scooter to the Metro where he has a 1-hour long commute" in an "effort to reduce his carbon footprint."

But will giving a child a “Hot Nerd” name really shape their personality? Not necessarily. But research has shown that people can make all kinds of assumptions about someone’s personality based on their name—as well as their culture background, level of income, etc—which no doubt could affect how someone operates in the world.

Slagen herself told Upworthy that while she doesn't believe names influence our personality, she does think that names carry a certain vibe or aesthetic that may lead you to make assumptions, especially with less common names.

“Soleil sounds very chic, Sinclair sounds very preppy, Prudence sounds old money, Mary Cameron sounds southern, Juniper sounds like she could be from the Pacific Northwest,” she said.

She also noted that more than anything, the name choice says something about the parent’s personality. For example, she said that parents who are outdoorsy might want to give their children outdoorsy names like Cedar, Aspen, Cove and Wren.

When you put it that way, it’s really interesting to think about how we carry a little part of our parents along with our first names. Not just the family name, but their actual passions and interests. Of course, kids who get less than stellar names probably don’t appreciate this so much. But interesting nonetheless.

As for the sons “Hot Nerd" names…it seems pretty clear what moms interests are.

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The 15 funniest winners from the 2024 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Which one do you think is the funniest?

© Milko Marchetti/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024 and © Andy Rouse/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

Two winners from the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.

Once again, Upworthy is proud to share the winners of the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, honoring the funniest in wildlife photography from around the globe. This year saw the largest number of entrants in the contest's 10-year history. Over 9,000 images were entered from professional and amateur photographers vying for the top prize. This year's winner is a hilarious shot of a red squirrel stuck in a tree trunk taken by Milko Marchetti of Italy.

“I have taken many, many photographs of squirrels in various situations over the years in Italy, but this one struck me as really funny and such a strange position. It captured the exact moment when the squirrel was detaching its back legs from the trunk to enter its hide. Whenever I show this image at the nature seminars at my local photography club, the audience always explodes with raucous laughter, so I had to enter it!” Marchetti said in a statement.

As the overall winner, Marchetti wins a once-in-a-lifetime safari in the Masai Mara, Kenya, with Alex Walker’s Serian.

"We are thrilled to celebrate Milko Marchetti's outstanding achievement in the Nikon Comedy Photography Awards 2024. His image, 'Stuck Squirrel,' brilliantly captures the playful and unpredictable moments that make nature so enchanting," Stefan Maier, Senior General Manager of Marketing at Nikon Europe, said in a statement. "This year's competition received a record number of entries, each one a testament to the power of photography in evoking emotion. We look forward to continuing to inspire the next generation of wildlife photographers through these wonderful awards."

The photo competition was started in 2015 by Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, professional photographers who wanted to promote the importance of conservation while enjoying some laughs at the same time.

Here are the big winners of this year's contest.

1. Overall Winner: "Stuck Squirrel" (red squirrel) by Milko Marchetti, Italy

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyThat's one stuck squirrel.© Milko Marchetti/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"The photo was taken on April 23, 2022, in the Podere Pantaleone park in Bagnacavallo – Ravenna – Italy. It is a park open to the public and schools, but from October to March, it is closed to visitors, and I am allowed (in exchange for photographs for educational and promotional purposes) to use a fixed photographic hide to photograph passerines, woodpeckers, hawks, and even 3-4 squirrels that come to visit the photographic set consisting of a small lake, and the surrounding vegetation.Generally, in Italy, especially in the area where I live, in the Po Delta Regional Park, it is very difficult to see and photograph squirrels (they are very rare) but here in the park they are quite confident.

A few meters from the hide, an old cut tree has a hole (an old woodpecker's nest), and here the squirrels (2 years ago there were 4 specimens) sometimes come out of curiousity to check out the old hollow tree. have taken several photos of squirrels in many situations, but the shot I choose to participate in the Nikon Comedy Wildlife immediately struck me for the strange position assumed by the squirrel that seems to be stuck halfway in the hole in the tree, but in reality it is the moment in which it is detaching the support on its hind legs and enters the hole.

This photo had an effect on me and made me smile a lot in the moment that I clicked the button, and during my evenings of slideshows and nature videos that I often hold at photography clubs and theaters, the audience always explodes in energetic laughter when I show this photo. I knew I had to enter it into the competition." — Milko Marchetti

2. Insect Category Winner: "Mantis Flamenca" (mantis mediterranea) by Jose Miguel Gallego Molina, Spain

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA dancing mantis.© Jose Miguel Gallego Molina/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"On my way back from my photo walk in a swamp near my town (Pantano el Sitjar), I suddenly stopped my car on the road when I saw someone ordering me to stop. This was when I saw my friend, the Flemish Mantis, for the first time. You can imagine the faces of the other cars passing by, seeing a car with the indicators on and the door open, stopped on the roadside and a madman lying on the ground with his camera in his hand." — Jose Miguel Gallego Molina

3. Reptile Category Winner: "Frog in a Balloon" (frog) by Eberhard Ehmke, Germany

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA frog stuck in a bubble of his own design.© Eberhard Ehmke/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"During a photo shoot at the pond, I discovered this frog with its head in a bubble. This resembles a tree bell." — Eberhard Ehmke

4. Aquatic Animals Category Winner: "Unexpected Role Swap" (bald eagle and bream) by Przemyslaw Jakubczyk, Poland

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA blad eagle appears to be chased by a fish.© Przemyslaw Jakubczyk/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"Every annoyed and overtired fish needs to de-stress by hunting for a bald eagle." — Przemyslaw Jakubczyk

5. Bird Category Winner: "Whiskered Tern Crash on Landing" (whiskered tern) by Damyan Petkov, Bulgaria

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA whiskered tern has a crash landing.© Damyan Petkov/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"Whiskered tern head hit the rock when try to land." — Damyan Petkov

6. Nikon 16 and Under Junior Category Winner: "Smooching Owlets" (spotted owlets) by Sarthak Ranganadhan, India

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyOwlettes sharing a smooch.© Sarthak Ranganadhan/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"Our parents always find a way toembarrass us, I guess that's also true in the case of spotted owlets. It was truly a funny sight to see two owlets trying to get some privacy as their little offspring stood next to them with a grin and shut eyes." — Sarthak Ranganadhan

7. Nikon Junior 25 and Under Category Winner: "Awkward Smiley Frog" (frog) by Kingston Tam, Australia

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography© Kingston Tam/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"I’ve always been interested in photography since I was about 10. And I started out just taking snapshots of little things like flowers, pretty skies on my cousin’s point and shoot, just like any other 10 year old would. When I was about 16, I got super interested in star trail photography and started doing it on the Nikon p900 since it has a star trail mode for dummies. Slowly, it evolved to proper wide angle landscape and astrophotography (Milky Way and deep sky) and that’s when I invested in a bit of gear and really dived into learning about the technical and creative side of photography, trying to do better every time I go out shooting. I also decided to pick up photography for my high school art class and dabbled in some street photography. In 2022 I moved to Australia from Hong Kong to study wildlife science and my friends got me into ‘herping’ (looking for reptiles and amphibians in the wild) and through that, I met a bunch of amazing photographers who specialise in taking photos of these critters and I started doing it as well. And that’s how I ended up photographing critters. My goal for my images is to bring attention to our scaly or moist friends, showing that not only fluffy animals can be cute and beautiful. Ultimately, I wish my work could bring more conservation awareness to these amazing reptiles and amphibians, and that’s been my motivation to keep doing what I’m doing.This award is by far my biggest photography achievement yet. I never thought an accomplishment this scale would be achievable but I’m grateful that this photograph has been recognised by the judges and many others. This award would be a reminder to me that I should keep my passion up because someone out there appreciates my work and hopefully it can encourage people to show some love to not just the fluffy animals but also the slimy and scaly friends." — Kingston Tam

8. People's Choice Category Winner: "Shake Ruffle Rattle and Roll" (white-tailed eagle) by Tapani Linnanmäki, Finland

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyThat's a very fluffy eagle.© Tapani Linnanmäki/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"In the picture, a white-tailed eagle is ruffling its feathers. The picture was taken with the Nikon Z9's autocapture feature. The camera is placed on top of the sea ice on top of a bag of nuts at the level of the ice. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this picture. There were more than ten funny poses and expressions in the photo series." — Tapani Linnanmäki

9. Portfolio Category Winner: "Dancing To The Music, Rock Guitar, Roly Poly, Weight Lifting" (squirrel) by Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb, Britain

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyA rockin' squirrel.© Flynn Thaitanundei/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


Highly Commended Winners

"Hide and Seek" (cheetah and topi) by Leslie McLeod, Kenya

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photographyThat topi is in for the shock of a lifetime.© Leslie McLeod/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"Alright Mate Back Off, This is My Bird" (king penguin) by Andy Rouse, South Georgia

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography"Back off, man!"© Andy Rouse/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


"You're Not My Mother" (screech owlet and red-bellied woodpecker) by Randy Herman, U.S.A.

comedy wildlife awards, funny animal photos, photography"Please don't peck my head."© Randy Herman/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2024


For a full list of winners, visit Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.

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