The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards began its life modestly in 2015 as a photographic competition. And this year is no exception. The recently announced winners and finalists of the 2021 competition include a visibly uncomfortable monkey, three gossiping raccoons (浣熊), a joyful bird reunion, a fish who jumps high and an all-powerful prairie dog (土拨鼠).

A group of judges sorts through thousands of submissions from expert and inexperienced photographers alike, and determines one winner for each of the several groups- except for the peoples’ choice award, which is left up to members of the public.

This year’s top prize goes to Ken Jensen. His photo, taken in Yunnan, China, shows a golden silk monkey in a rather uncomfortable position with an appropriately surprised look on its face. The caption (图片配文) reads: “This is actually a show of aggression however in the position that the monkey is in it looks quite painful!” Another crowd favorite shows a pigeon with a flyaway yellow leaf covering its entire face, captioned: “I guess summer’s over.” The shot was taken by John Speirs when fruits and crops became ready to eat and were picked, and leaves fell.

The contest is more than just a delight to see. “The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards was born from the need for a wildlife photography competition that was light-hearted, modest and importantly, could make a difference to animals and our natural world,” reads its website. “Its founders realised that laughter was a uniquely effective tool to engage audiences of all ages and cultures with images of creatures they may never be able to see for themselves - and that the world could lose forever.”

Organizers Tom Sullam and Michelle Wood say they also donate 10% of their total net revenue to conservation organizations that protect endangered wildlife. This year, proceeds are going in Borneo.

Nature is healing, but it still has a long way to go.

A woman who lost one leg in a traffic accident is seeking to break a world record by completing 102 marathon-length runs in 102 days. A marathon is a race that goes 42 kilometers.

Jacky Hunt-Broersma, who lives in the Western American state of Arizona, set her goal last month. And every day since then, she has been running the distance of a marathon. Most of the time, she runs on roads and trails near her home. Sometimes she completes her runs on a running machine. If she keeps successfully completing marathon-length runs every day, she would reach her goal three months later. She would then hold the world record for completing 102 back-to-back marathon runs.

The current world record of 101 marathons was set on April 10 by British runner Kate Jayden. The 35-year-old Jayden does not have a disability.

Hunt-Broersma said that until five years ago, she was not very active. But then she looked into running and decided to give it a try. The sport ended up being quite costly. Currently, she runs on a prosthetic (假体的) leg made out of a strong, light material known as carbon fiber. The carbon fiber blade she uses, which is designed specifically for running, costs about＄10,000.But Hunt-Broersma says her investment (投资) has been well worth it.

One of her recent runs was the world-famous Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts. She finished that race, held on April 18, with a time of 5 hours and 5 minutes.

Hunt-Broersma’s main support team is her husband and their two young children. She is posting her progress online and has also gained a large social media following. As she nears the end of her goal, Hunt-Broersma is hoping to inspire a dream in others, regardless of (不管) their own physical limitations. She tells people, “You’re stronger than you think-and you’re capable of so much more.”

An earthquake hit Turkey and Syria last month. Over 40,000 people lost their lives in the natural disaster, and that number is expected to climb. But people are staying strong and holding out hope as rescuers continue to search for and rescue survivors.

33-year-old Necla Camuz was trapped inside her home with her 10-day-old son, Yagiz, in her arms. She waited for 90 hours before being rescued. While Camuz was worried that they would never be found, she looked to her baby as a source of strength. “I think if my son hadn’t been strong enough to deal with this, I wouldn’t have been, either,” she shared. This story had an even happier ending. Camuz was told that her husband and 3-year-old son had also survived. They would get together after this terrible experience.

But babies and young people aren’t the only survivors. 77-year-old Fatma Gungor was trapped for 212 hours before being freed. “I am so excited. I don’t know what to say. We almost got to the point of giving up, but our struggle has ended well,” one rescuer said. Finding Gungor provides new motivation (动力) for rescuers, who have been working around the clock. They are encouraged to keep up their search.

According to Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, it’s uncommon to find survivors after they have been trapped for more than 100 hours, but low temperatures might be the factor. “On the one hand, the cold weather makes the rescue very difficult, for it is below freezing right now. On the other hand, it may reduce the demand for water. Perhaps that is the case this time,” he said.

As always, these stories give hope that there are many people still waiting to be rescued. But once people are pulled from the stones, there is a hard road ahead as people have lost their homes, and many have also lost their families. If you are looking for a way to help, consider donating to Global Giving’s earthquake fund.