Photography of wildlife is far more difficult than you may imagine. Imagine spending hours in the blazing heat, spending a night in the woods in the dead of winter, or lying in a pool of water with mosquitoes buzzing all around while being incredibly calm and motionless in order to gain the confidence of wild creatures and capture the ideal photo. Not to mention that it takes a lot of luck for the animal to appear at all. Wildlife photography requires a combination of chance, talent, passion for the subject species, patience, and time. And with any luck, you’ll capture moments in time that are so extraordinary that you wouldn’t have noticed if you had blinked!

We’ve collected 50 instances of humorous animals being photographed at just the right moment; all of these images appear to be the result of pure serendipity. But keep in mind that there’s a lot more to it than just good fortune; as the proverb goes, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#14

#15