Diego Pérez Romero named finalist in Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards

Peruvian photographer Diego Pérez Romero has been named a finalist in the 2026 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards. His photograph, titled ‘Sexy Mantis’, was captured during a night walk in the forests of Camanti, located in the Cusco region of Peru.

The image, taken while documenting biodiversity in the Bosques del Araza Regional Conservation Area, depicts a mantis partially hidden behind a leaf. The composition creates a visual illusion where the insect's posture resembles a person posing or sunbathing.

The 2026 competition saw a record-breaking number of entries, with over 10,000 submissions selected for the final list of 40 images. Other finalists include shots of a newborn baboon in Kenya, a buffalo in Africa, and hares in a field.