Did you know Squirrel Appreciation Day is a thing? It’s celebrated every January 21st as an opportunity to learn more about the little rodents, and even if we’re far from that date, it’s always a good time to celebrate these precious balls of fur! Squirrels are pretty awesome, and their cuteness is only matched by the fact they’re quite clever and can form cognitive maps in their heads of the places they store their food.
I’ll never forget the first time I visited London, where I was amazed by the number of cute squirrels in St. James’s Park and how well they tolerated being surrounded by so many people. As naive as I was as a child, I thought the city had a secret squirrel sanctuary! When I investigated some more, I found out squirrels can be incredibly friendly to humans. They have a reputation for curiosity and get interested in what’s going on around them.
For all these reasons and more, squirrels are easy to love. And if you’re a fan of adorable animals like us, you’ll surely appreciate this gallery of squirrel pictures! So scroll down, feast your eyes, and upvote your ultimate favorites!
#1 One Woman Started Putting Bowls Of Ice Out For The Squirrels In Her Yard. This Little Guy Was So Grateful, He Fell Asleep Cooling Off
#2 Have A Baby Squirrel In A Tiny Sock Sweater
I’m using my quarantine work from home time to help raise orphan baby animals for our local wildlife rescue. This is Rigby wearing a tiny sweater I made out of a toddler sock someone donated to us. I hope it makes you smile.
#3 My Wife Just Shot This Pic Of A Sleepy Albino Squirrel
We 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 We 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.
#4 Squirrel Licking A Glass Window
#5 I’ve Spent A Couple Of Years Photographing Squirrels And Their Different Emotions
#6 I Followed Squirrels Daily With My Camera For 6 Years And Here Are 50 Of My Best Photos
“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.
#7 Alert! This Rescued Squirrel Has A Teddy Bear
#8 Squirrel Fell In Love With My Stepdad
#9 A Squirrel Ran Into The Store I Work At And Stole A Chocolate Bar
#10 So Ive Been Feeding The Squirrels Lately And This Is What I Saw At My Door When I Woke Up
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 separateways. 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.”
#11 These Sleeping Squirrels In A Nest On The Window Ledge
#12 Defiant Squirrel
#13 Rescued This Little Guy While Shooting Some Photos In A Wooded Area. My Dogs Adopted Him
#14 We Adopted A Badly Injured Baby Squirrel. Here’s One Of The First Photos Of Him
We 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.
#15 A Pile Of Baby Squirrels (I Am A Licensed Wildlife Rehabber)
#16 Enjoy This Squirrel With His Corn
#17 Saw A Squirrel Eating A Strawberry Off A Fork On My Way To Class
#18 The Orphaned Baby Sri Lankan Palm Squirrel So Tiny In My Palm
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.”
#19 Rescued A Baby Squirrel! This Is Him When We First Found Him, Meet Steve
#21 A Family Of Squirrels Moved Into The Hole In My Tree
#22 This White Squirrel I Saw On My Walk
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.
#23 My Friend Rehabilitated And Released A Squirrel 6 Years Ago. She Still Stops By For Snacks And Lets My Friend Put Hats On Her
#24 This Little Guy Needed To Say Hi
He is my sister-in-laws outdoor pet and he visits her hairstylists for nuts. He is very tame and as you can see is really cute. They call him Yochen (he is a German squirrel so an ‘eichhörnchen’)
#25 Begging For More Popcorn
#26 My Mom Occasionally Leaves Nuts Under Our Bird Feeder. Today, He Came To The Window And Asked For More
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!”
#27 This Squirrel We’ve Been Feeding Has Begun Sunbathing On Our Deck Table
#28 I Give The Local Squirrels Breakfast Every Morning. He Was A Latecomer. His Face Says It All
#29 Hoomans Said If Your Ear Is Itchy, Someone Is Thinking Of You
#30 Sadie The Squirrel Has Eaten 3 Jack O’Lanterns So Far
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 We.
But the list doesn’t end here, so keep scrolling, upvote your favorites, and comment your favorite squirrel puns in the comment section below!
#31 I’ve Been Photographing Red Squirrels For 6 Years, Here Are My 19 Photos To Show How Acrobatic They Really Are
#32 Little Squirrel
#33 And This Is When I Became A Squirrel Mom Two Years Ago
#34 Indian Palm Squirrel In My Indian Palm
#35 This Squirrel Splooted On My AC
#36 This Fat Little Squirrel With His Hands On His Belly
#37 Squirrel On Dog
#38 I See Her Suspicious Look And A Cucumber… But Look At Her Feet On The Bowl!
#39 Feeding Squirrels In Wildlife Rehab Is No Easy Feat!
There is a science to it – from weighing each squirrel to calculate the amount of formula needed, to doing physical exams to make sure they are developing well – it’s a tall order but Casey and Kristin make it look easy!
#40 Oh Boy. I Think Winston May Have Found A Way Onto The Fridge. Came In From Work To This Face
