Although squirrels are known to be intelligent, they do need to shed their fur every now and again.
Niki Colemont 35, a photographer who captured squirrels with a wide variety of props, has perfectly captured their playful nature.
Niki was born in Rwanda and now resides in Belgium. He was four years old when he was taken to an orphanage along with his sister at the beginning of the Rwandan genocide. He eVentually established a career in Europe, and began to take up amateur photography. In 2016, he focused on improving his wildlife photography.
To make it easy for squirrels to play with, he uses various props, including miniature parks benches, drinks cans, flowers and even trees.
One of his photographs shows a squirrel riding on the back a model reindeer as though it was a person riding a horse.
One squirrel stands on its hind feet and holds a small flower in its mouth.
Speaking about how he sets up the photos, Niki said: ‘For 6 years, I’ve used food in every setup, but I have to place it in such a way that it won’t be visible in the pictures. After six years of photographing squirrels, there were some moments that I’ll never forget.
“I spent approximately 5 hours per day watching my small friends. Some days were difficult. It’s important not to give up and always go back and try to capture that one image you have in mind.’
“Where are you sir?” Niki captured this squirrel trying to ride on top of a reindeer model.
As the squirrel stood upright on its hind legs, its arms were clasped onto brightly colored petals. It then leans in, as though sniffing the flowers.
It’s lunch time! This playful photo shows it as lunchtime. A squirrel approaches a small picnic bench on which is left a container of food.
To infinity …: As it climbs up a tower made of Tin Cans, this squirrel shows its courage.
This squirrel is on the move. A large nut that it has secured in its mouth for dinner can be seen hanging from its mouth as it scamper along a branch.
It smells amazing! Niki managed to capture this moment when a squirrel posed in a popular position among squirrels.
This squirrel showed that it is not easy to run around searching for food. He began to perch on the top of a drink can, and took one sip.
This is easy. Niki offers a glimpse at his setup of some photos. Niki’s hand is full of nuts, so this photo shows how Niki grabs the squirrels attention.
Even though he was fully grown, this young squirrel apparently enjoyed sucking on a baby Pacifier. It had the words, “I Love Mama.”
Niki started taking photographs when she was a teenager. She has used many props since then, such as this syringe to take creative shots of squirrels.
It was a date night! As he seemed to enjoy the doll’s pink-colored appearance, this squirrel appeared to want a cuddle.
It looks like it’s raining! The squirrel seemed to be unable to take the weather’s changing conditions to its fur so it opened an umbrella.
Daredevil – This amazing photo shows a squirrel holding onto a tree branch while it leans over a body of water.
The squirrel seems to be preparing for Christmas.
Flying high; Niki snapped this photo of an elegant squirrel leaping through the air. The tail can be seen following it while the squirrel focuses on landing.
Tossing in: This squirrel arrived on a wooden bench and quickly ate the food in its small, red container.
It’s back on the road. This squirrel appears to have practiced waving while it traveled in a carriage toy pulled by a doll riding a horse. As the camera pans by it raises a hand, as though waving.
The top of the food chain: A squirrel knows its boss, as it attempts riding on the back of an animator dinosaur and carries a victory nut in its mouth.
Run home for dinner: This squirrel, conscious not to delay its family, leapt through the air, carrying an enormous nut.