A new year is on its way, and it is only understandable for people to look back at the things that happened. While some moments are deemed sad, others are worth being proud of. And, oh, let us not forget the funny ones!

Speaking of funny ones, we here at Elite Readers decided it is time to round up the funniest photos of the year. The only catch, however, is that we are about to feature the wildlife. Interestingly, there is an actual competition for this sort of thing. It is even meant to spread awareness about wildlife conservation, and it is called Comedy Wildlife Photography.

Photographer Paul Joynson-Hicks, one of the founders of the competition, was quoted saying:

Traffic lights, also known as stoplights, are installed in major roads to direct vehicular traffic. The main purpose, of course, is to ensure everyone’s safety. As we all grew up, we learned what each of the three colors meant – red is for stop, green is for go, and yellow is for proceed with caution.

And yet the sad fact of the matter is that not everyone follows these simple guidelines. Just ask traffic officers about it and they’ll tell you that, from time to time, they still have to apprehend motorists and pedestrians violating the rules.

Smarter than some humans? This dog knows exactly when to cross the street!

Imagine waking up one morning and heading to the beach, only to find around two dozen octopuses washed ashore. Maybe your first instinct is to think that you're hallucinating and seeing weird things. Upon checking that the creatures on the sand are definitely real, you would probably assume the worst - doomsday is upon us. Or maybe not.

This must be what the residents of Ceredigion, a small coastal village in western Wales, must have felt when they saw a group of cephalopods scattered on New Quay beach. They were washed ashore and reports say that the "octopus march" happened three nights in a row.

You would be puzzled too if you find dozens of them on a beach near you.