Laughter is the best medicine, they say. Humor can heal disharmony and build bonds between people, making us feel closer to each other—and can even help us see our counterparts in the animal kingdom with greater sympathy and compassion—which is one reason why the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards global competition was created. Aiming to protect all creatures, large and small, just trying to survive in their natural ecosystems, the CWPA uses comedy to tap into “anthropomorphism” (attributing human characteristics to non-humans), which is a well-documented powerful trigger for human empathy. Laughter lets us see animals as valuable (and sometimes hilarious) like humans. The winning photographs of this year’s CWPA reached an audience of millions of viewers across the planet. Here are some of the winners in several different categories for your perusal—which will hopefully tickle your funny bone as it did ours. Overall Winner Spectrum Photo Creatures in the Air …