Bored Panda has reached out to Gothenburg-based photographer Johnny Kääpä of Fotoscenen fame. If any of this sounds familiar, it's because it should. He has actually been featured a couple of times on Bored Panda already and is known for his series of squirrel photographs (here and here, and two of them are featured in this list, but don't go just yet!).

Throughout the years, Kääpä has become a bit of an expert on squirrels, having captures dozens upon dozens upon dozens of emotions and expressions that this teeny-tiny animal is capable of showing.

And when asked why squirrels, if there are numerous woodland creatures to choose from, he joked that he is not brave enough to capture more dangerous wild animals with his camera, nor is he willing to spend hours if not days tracking down and waiting for the animals to show up. Squirrels are definitely the safer bet here.

"When I first started photographing squirrels, I was running after them, taking a few snaps and then off we go. The squirrels are naturally curious, so they would always pause to make sure I kept up. After a while, I started simply going to the same place and sat there waiting for them to come to me," told Kääpä about how it all started. 

Believe it or not, he brought studio lights and took close up shots. A certain kind of trust developed between him and this "models," and it was all professional. "They would model for me and I'd pay them in nuts," elaborated Kääpä. He never expected this to take off the way it did, though.

Kääpä continued about his squirrel photography origins:

"One day as I was leaving the place, I walked along a stream and on the other side I saw a squirrel with half an ear, I didn’t recognize her, but I shouted out 'hey, come here!'"

"To my surprise, she did! We took photos for half an hour and then went on our separate ways. As time went by our friendship has deepened and now when she sees me, she runs up my leg to recieve her nut. Or if I sit with my back to her, she will gently tap her paws on my back to let me know she’s there."

All this happened a few years back. Kääpä suspected the squirrel was a year old back then, when they usually live around 3 years in the wild, and could even live twice as long in captivity. But much to her surprised, Kääpä saw her the day of this article:

"I saw her today, actually, and we made a number of short reels together. I’m always so grateful whenever I see her, thankful she is still alive. I almost can’t imagine life without her and yet very soon I will have to."

Bored Panda also got a chance to speak with Michael Bacon, Executive Director at Squirrel Refuge, a squirrel sanctuary based in Vancouver, Washington State that rescues, rehabilitates and releases or provides sanctuary for injured wildlife.

Sadly, many baby squirrels that find their way to the sanctuary are often orphaned—the mother either becomes roadkill, or falls prey to other woodland creatures. “The starvation pangs hit, causing them to unfortunately leave the nest (the sad truth is they are looking for something to eat them quick so they don't have to have a lingering, slow death). In a few lucky cases, they find someone who will help them,” explained Michael.

As mentioned previously, Kääpä has been snapping photographs of squirrels for years, so we asked him what were some of the more interesting, or even surprising, things he has learned about squirrels throughout his photographic adventures. He had this to say:

"It has to be the sounds they make, quite unexpected. If you heard R2-D2 in Star Wars, the moving trashcan, then you know how they sound. I have also learned that if they wag their tail at you, it’s not because they like you. They want you to leave."

And that’s not the only thing we ought to be surprised and amazed by. Michael of Squirrel Refuge added that squirrels are incredibly intelligent creatures:

“While their intelligence is very specialized (in order to survive), it is always amazing to me how quickly they can do very complex math in their heads (jumping from branch to branch, their ability to change direction in mid-air, the fact that they can remember up to 10,000 locations where they buried their nuts, etc.). 80% of the worlds forests have been planted by none other than the over 300 different species of squirrels. Some of those 10k+ nuts that were buried, but not needed will become new trees.”

Unfortunately, squirrels are as affected by climate change as well as man-made factors as much as any other animal on this planet, hindering their chances of surviving as a species. Michael pointed out that deforestation and climate change are the two biggest threats to their existence.

But it’s a good thing that squirrels are extremely resilient and adaptable. Oh, and they can run really fast, as noted by Michael, but also seconded by Kääpä. He shared that one of the greatest challenges that any photographer could face when going after squirrels, and that is their speed. They might be cute (fun fact, they groom a lot!), but they are fast as heck, and so as to get the shots you need to be as quick as they are, and you have to learn to predict their running trajectory. Otherwise, good luck.

Over the years, Squirrel Refuge has helped numerous squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, possums, and rabbits get back on their feet. Each case can take anywhere between 3 weeks to 3 months to make a full recovery, and luckily squirrels are very eager to be back on their feet, as explains Michael:

“Squirrels actually have all of the tools they need for survival hardwired into their brains already. Mama's only nurture their babies, they don't actually teach them how to survive. By giving them this time away from humans, they start to tap those instincts. When we go out to the [‘Wild Up’] enclosure (once per week), we look to see if they run towards us or if they run away. If anyone runs towards us, they need more time in the enclosure, but if they all run away, it is time for release!”

Be sure to check out the Squirrel Refuge sanctuary and consider helping them out by volunteering (if you live in the Vancouver, WA area) or donating to keep their mission alive. The sanctuary's website provides ample information on the hows, when's and where's of rescuing squirrels and caring for them if you run into one. Also, be sure to follow them on their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

You can also get to know Kääpä and his photography more on his website, Facebook, Instagram, TIkTok and YouTube. Also be sure to check out his two other posts right here and here on Bored Panda.

But the list doesn't end here, so keep scrolling, upvote your favorites, and comment your favorite squirrel puns in the comment section below!