A split-second photograph from Santa Cruz captures a protective squirrel knocking a young great horned owl from its perch, creating one of the most remarkable finalists in the 2026 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.
SANTA CRUZ, California | Published at 1:18 p.m. EDT
A California photographer’s perfectly timed image of a squirrel flying headfirst toward a wide-eyed young owl has become a finalist in one of the world’s most popular wildlife photography competitions.
The photograph, titled “Are You Kidding Me?”, was taken by wildlife photographer Kevin Lohman at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz. It shows a squirrel suspended in the air just before colliding with a seven-week-old great horned owl perched on a pine branch.
The owl’s startled expression gives the picture its comedic appeal. The behavior behind it, however, appears to have been serious.
According to Lohman’s account published with the competition entry, the squirrel was apparently trying to drive the young owl away from a nearby nest. The owl was knocked from the tree and fell into the grass but was not injured. The squirrel reportedly repeated the attack two more times during the next hour and a half.
The unusual confrontation earned Lohman a place among the finalists in the 2026 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, an international competition that uses amusing animal photography to generate interest in wildlife and conservation.
Some reports have described it as a national wildlife photo competition. More accurately, it is a global contest. Organizers received more than 10,000 photographs from photographers in 112 countries, the highest submission total in the competition’s history. smithsonianmag.com
A photograph that almost did not exist
The image depended on preparation, patience and an unexpected burst of action.
Lohman had been observing the young owl when the squirrel suddenly entered his frame. In his published description of the encounter, he said the squirrel essentially photobombed the photograph.
After the first collision, Lohman moved to another position and found the owlet sitting in the grass. It gradually climbed back into the tree, only to be knocked down again. The process happened a third time before the adult female owl began hooting.
The owlet eventually returned to a perch beside its mother, which began preening the youngster. When Lohman returned later that evening, he found the mother and young owl still together, with no squirrel in sight.
The photographer used a Nikon Z9 camera with a NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 lens and an engaged teleconverter. His settings included a shutter speed of 1/1000 of a second, an aperture of f/4 and ISO 1000.
Most importantly, he was photographing at 20 frames per second when the squirrel entered the scene. That rapid burst allowed him to freeze a fraction of a second that would have been nearly impossible to capture through reaction alone. DPReview
The camera equipment helped, but the photograph also demonstrates the value of familiarity with an animal’s habitat. Lohman had spent years photographing owls, which allowed him to remain positioned at a safe distance and recognize when the birds’ behavior changed.
Why would a squirrel attack an owl?
The photograph looks like a tiny mammal recklessly challenging a much more powerful predator. From the squirrel’s perspective, the decision may have been calculated.
Great horned owls are formidable hunters that consume rodents, rabbits, birds, reptiles and other small animals. Squirrels fall within the range of prey they can capture.
A squirrel with a nest nearby could therefore interpret even a young owl as a developing threat. Its airborne charge may have been a form of defensive mobbing, behavior in which smaller animals confront, harass or drive away a predator.
Birds frequently engage in mobbing. Crows, jays and songbirds may surround hawks or owls while producing alarm calls and making close passes. Mammals can use similar defensive tactics when they believe offspring, nests or territory are threatened.
In this case, the squirrel’s willingness to repeat the maneuver suggests that the first collision was not simply an accident. The animal apparently had a clear objective: remove the owl from the immediate area.
That makes “Are You Kidding Me?” more than a funny photograph. It documents a brief but intense negotiation between two wild animals occupying the same coastal habitat.
The owl possessed the greater long-term predatory power. The squirrel had the advantage of speed, surprise and determination.
The owl was apparently unharmed
Animal welfare is an important consideration whenever images of wildlife conflict are shared for entertainment.
According to the photographer’s account, both animals appeared to be unharmed following the encounters. The owlet returned to its mother, and the two settled together after the third collision. DPReview
Lohman photographed the scene with a long lens, allowing him to remain at a distance rather than moving close to the owls. That detail matters because approaching nests or young wildlife can increase stress, interfere with feeding and alter natural behavior.
Nothing in the available account indicates that the confrontation was staged or provoked. The photographer was documenting the owl when the squirrel independently entered the frame.
This distinction is central to ethical wildlife photography. A powerful image should result from observation, field knowledge and patience, not from baiting animals or creating a conflict for the camera.
A record year for wildlife comedy
The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards selected 40 individual image finalists for 2026. Judges also chose three entries by photographers younger than 16, four portfolio finalists and nine video finalists.
Other nominated photographs include a sneezing moose, an orangutan with an exaggerated expression, a water buffalo appearing to wear a plant as a hat and a damselfly that seems to wave through a hole in a leaf.
The winners are scheduled to be announced at a ceremony in London on December 8. Finalist images will then be displayed at Gallery@Oxo from December 9 through December 13. The overall winner will receive a safari in Kenya’s Masai Mara reserve, while other awards include Nikon cameras and photography equipment. smithsonianmag.com
The 2026 competition is supporting the Born Free Foundation, an international organization focused on protecting wild animals and natural habitats. According to The National, the awards are donating 10 percent of their profits to the foundation. The National
Competition co-founder Tom Sullam said in a publicly released statement that the project began as a small effort to raise awareness about wildlife conservation and has since developed into a global event.
Its central strategy is simple. Humor attracts people who might otherwise scroll past a traditional conservation message. Once viewers stop to enjoy the photograph, they also begin to think about the animal, its habitat and the pressures wildlife faces.
The science behind the laughter
Humorous wildlife photography often works because viewers interpret animal expressions through human emotions.
The young owl in Lohman’s photograph appears astonished. The approaching squirrel looks fearless and intensely focused. Neither interpretation can be proven from a single image, but the apparent emotions make the scene immediately understandable.
That emotional accessibility is valuable. Scientific reports can explain habitat loss, species behavior and ecosystem change, but photography can create an instant connection between the public and an individual animal.
The best comedy wildlife pictures do not make animals seem ridiculous. They remind viewers that wild creatures lead complicated lives filled with competition, conflict, mistakes and surprises.
“Are You Kidding Me?” accomplishes that in one frozen moment.
The photograph is funny because of the owl’s expression and the seeming absurdity of a squirrel attacking a bird of prey. It is memorable because the action was real, repeated and connected to a recognizable survival strategy.
Lohman’s image may or may not win the top award in December. Its place among the finalists is already an achievement, given the record number of submissions.
For California wildlife watchers, it also offers a reminder that remarkable natural behavior does not always require an expedition to a distant wilderness. Sometimes it happens on a pine branch in Santa Cruz, where a protective squirrel decides that an owl must go and a prepared photographer happens to press the shutter at precisely the right instant.
Reporting and sourcing disclosure
This report draws on information released by the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, technical and observational details provided publicly by photographer Kevin Lohman, and reporting from Smithsonian Magazine, DPReview, Popular Science, Colossal and The National.