Hilarious Snaps Of Squirrels Playing In Mini Playground

Story By: Alex Cope, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash

These are the amazing snaps a Belgian photographer has taken of cute squirrels riding on toy cars, biting dinosaurs and climbing on his camera as he tries to work in his garden.

Photographer Niki Colemont took the fun images in his garden in Diepenbeek in eastern Belgium where he set up a ‘playground’ for the four squirrels who regularly come and visit him.

Colemont, who told Newsflash he is a machine operator, takes the stunning photos in his spare time, setting up a camouflaged cabin in his back garden to capture the squirrels.

Newsflash/@Niki_Colemont

In the photos, the squirrels can be seen in a variety of hilarious situations, with some riding on toy cars, another biting the mouth of a toy dinosaur and on more looking out from a bi-plane.

Colemont’s images show how the cheeky squirrels were not scared of him, climbing on his camera and eating from his hands.

He told Newsflash: “At present there are four different squirrels that come to the setting. New squirrels could be drawn to the setting as well, but they aren’t used to my presence yet and need time.

Newsflash/@Niki_Colemont

“The four squirrels that do come are very tame. I can film them with my phone from just 1.5 metres (five feet) away.”

“I once tried to build a good relationship with a few squirrels. For three weeks long I was standing still for four hours every day. Eventually, two of them even touched my hand.”

Local Flemish public broadcaster VRT report that Colemont was one of 15 finalists for the National Geographic photo contest in 2019 and one of his pictures has been used on the advert for the 2020 contest, which he is entering again.

Newsflash/@Niki_Colemont

Speaking about any potential future projects, Colemont told Newsflash: “At work, I came up with this idea, I have always wanted to try it for years. I want to dangle a small squirrel-sized mask on a wire, put food in it and make a picture when the squirrel is ‘wearing’ the mask. It’s gonna be great if it works.”

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