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!
This post may include affiliate links.
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
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.
My Wife Just Shot This Pic Of A Sleepy Albino Squirrel
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.
Squirrel Licking A Glass Window
I’ve Spent A Couple Of Years Photographing Squirrels And Their Different Emotions
I Followed Squirrels Daily With My Camera For 6 Years And Here Are 50 Of My Best Photos
I was about 3 meters from a squirrel and it saw and started flexing.
"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.
Alert! This Rescued Squirrel Has A Teddy Bear
A Squirrel Ran Into The Store I Work At And Stole A Chocolate Bar
Squirrel Fell In Love With My Stepdad
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 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."
These Sleeping Squirrels In A Nest On The Window Ledge
Defiant Squirrel
Rescued This Little Guy While Shooting Some Photos In A Wooded Area. My Dogs Adopted Him
We Adopted A Badly Injured Baby Squirrel. Here's One Of The First Photos Of Him
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.
A Pile Of Baby Squirrels (I Am A Licensed Wildlife Rehabber)
Enjoy This Squirrel With His Corn
I once looked out of my kitchen window to see a squirrel hanging upside down from our nut holder. I could here a high pitched squealing noise, so I went to investigate. He had got the wire trapped between his front teeth and couldn't pull free. Without thinking I cradled his body in my hand, hoping he could then lever his teeth off the wire. It worked! Whereupon he spun round and bit clean through my hand. I ran round like a demented person trying to shake him off. Eventually he let go and shot up a tree. Oh how the nurse laughed as she gave me a Tetanus shot!
Saw A Squirrel Eating A Strawberry Off A Fork On My Way To Class
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.”
Rescued A Baby Squirrel! This Is Him When We First Found Him, Meet Steve
Squirrel Love
A Family Of Squirrels Moved Into The Hole In My Tree
This White Squirrel I Saw On My Walk
Psst hey buddy, ya lookin for some chestnuts? I got prime stuff back here
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.
My Friend Rehabilitated And Released A Squirrel 6 Years Ago. She Still Stops By For Snacks And Lets My Friend Put Hats On Her
Begging For More Popcorn
Please, for only .75 a day, the price of a cup of coffee, you can help these starving squirrels make it through a cold suburban winter...
My Mom Occasionally Leaves Nuts Under Our Bird Feeder. Today, He Came To The Window And Asked For More
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')
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!”
Hoomans Said If Your Ear Is Itchy, Someone Is Thinking Of You
This Squirrel We've Been Feeding Has Begun Sunbathing On Our Deck Table
I Give The Local Squirrels Breakfast Every Morning. He Was A Latecomer. His Face Says It All
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 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!
Little Squirrel
I’ve Been Photographing Red Squirrels For 6 Years, Here Are My 19 Photos To Show How Acrobatic They Really Are
And This Is When I Became A Squirrel Mom Two Years Ago
Indian Palm Squirrel In My Indian Palm
This Squirrel Splooted On My AC
This Fat Little Squirrel With His Hands On His Belly
Another good example of a heckin chonker. Don't give this one anymore hotdogs
Squirrel On Dog
I See Her Suspicious Look And A Cucumber... But Look At Her Feet On The Bowl!
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!
I'm so jealous of people who can help these squirrels get better, what a lovely job to have x
Oh Boy. I Think Winston May Have Found A Way Onto The Fridge. Came In From Work To This Face
This Is Gary. I Think 5-7 Week Old Red Squirrel. I’m Rehabbing The Little Guy. His First Time Out In The Yard. He Loved It
Cute Baby Squirrel Taking A Nap
Honey, I Think We Need To Stop Feeding The Squirrel. He's Looking Festively Plump
A Nice Stretch
Ate Himself To Sleep
Squirrel Nest On The 4th Floor
Took This Picture Of A Squirrel When I Went Skiing Last Winter
We Fed Our Backyard Squirrel Once... Meet Frankie At Our Backyard Door Waiting For More Nuts
A Curious Squirrel
I’m 14 And I Made Table For Squirrel
Cute Squirrel Give You A Smile Everyday
Welcome To The Balcony Baby Squirrel 2022
I Photographed A Squirrel So Close That The Reflection In Its Eye Shows My Phone And My Hand With The Pine Nuts
I Filled A Tiny Tea Cup With Some Walnuts For My Squirrel Friend
Squirrel Just Wants Some Nuts
I Did A Newborn Photoshoot For My Little Rescue Squirrel, Cardboard. I Know I'm Insane, But It Turned Out Pretty Cute
My Dad Made This Squirrel A Pancake
Makes Ya Smile Right
Leg Nibbling Is Squirrel Flirting
This Albino Squirrel Comes To Our Door & Begs For Corn Every Day
This Squirrel Found An Easter Egg
This Squirrel My Friend Photographed In Colorado
We Have Had A Pawless And Tailless Handicapped Squirrel In Our Yard For Several Years
So, My Dad Recently Got A New Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder
Newborn Squirrel I Rescued Today
In My Home Country We Don't Have Squirrels, I'm Obsessed. Here Is One I Saw Hugging A Flower
Squirrel Squeeze
My Pet Squirrel
Cute Squirrel At My Apartment Doing A Heckin' Pose For Me
Baby Squirrel Thought I Was Dad
This Squirrel Using His Tail As An Umbrella In The Rain
A Squirrel Came Up To My Door And Wouldn't Leave
Ready For Winter
Squirrel-Friend Was Not Ready For The Jump Up To The 90s Today
Guess I'm A Squirrel Dad Now
A Baby Squirrel Crawled Onto My Buddy's Shoe
River Has Officially Moved Into His Own Apartment! Yesterday I Watched Him Building A Drey In The Neighbor's Hackberry Tree
Piper Wishes Everyone A Nice Weekend!
What’s Mine Is His And What’s His Is His
This Little Cutie Checking Out My Pumpkins
Caught This Great Picture Of A Squirrel, Think He Fits In Here
Enjoying A Little Snack
Enjoying A Cup Of Coffee On The Sofa - Felt Like I Was Being Watched. Turned Around And Saw This
My Squirrel-Obsessed Dog Never Even Noticed
I Don’t Own Any Pets, So Here Is A Squirrel On The Roof Of My House
My Pretty Girl Maggie. Who Could Resist This Look? And Look At This Beautiful Tail
She Finally Opened Her Eyes
Hullo
The Crittre Is At The Office Handling Business
Two Squirrel Toddlers That Came Out Of A Hollow Tree
This Squirrel That Stole My Daughters Egg On Our Easter Egg Hunt
Boomy!
Peep Through The Tiny Hole In The Incubator To See The Sleeping Baby Rock Squirrel
A Baby Showed Up On My Balcony
California Ground Squirrel Enjoying A Carrot It Swiped From A Horse
A Black Squirrel And An Albino Squirrel Eating Together In Harmony
I'm SORRY! I can't help it ! "Ebony, and Ivory, live together in perfect harmony .......
This Is Charlie. Her Favorite Nut Is The Pecan. She Enjoys Early Morning Frolicks And Wrestling With Her Brothers
Fox Squirrel, Portland
We have so many fox squirrels out here in Florida! You wouldn’t believe it!
Somebody Say Something About Chubby Squirrels The Other Day? Meet Chips
I Befriended The Lucky, Albino Squirrel At My School Just In Time For Finals
Most Tables Have Legs, But Has Your Leg Ever Been A Table?
Black And White Squirrel That Came Up To Me On My Walk
My Little Man
Baby Squirrel In My Backyard
My heart is always on overload when it comes to these gorgeous animals.
Squirrels Finally Nested In The Box I Built Early Lockdowns. And Two Lil Babies Peeking Out All Day
Hey
"Can a squirrel do their business in the woods without a photo op?"
Sleepy Time
He’s My Buddy
Just A Really Odd Squirrel Dude At The Park
They were fine, they kept waiting for me to go walk towards my kids in the playground to try and sneak into my backpack. He would run away and rest like this, it is very hot out though.
It just needed to cool its little belly down, lol 😆! So freaking cute doing though!
Every Day She Surprises And Delights Me
My Best Friend
I Also Saw A White Squirrel
Such unique colors for this squirrel puts its life into much more danger than that of a normal colored squirrel. They just don't have the usual benefits of their normal camouflage that the regular colored coats give them. Same with albino raccoons and other albino animals.
My Mom’s Fiancé Feeds The Squirrels In His Backyard. Here’s One Of His “Pets” Waiting For Its Nut
Squirrel Friend Was Curious
Hungry Squirrel
Baby Squirrel
Squirrel Kiss
She's actually sniffing his breath to see if he ate any of her fruit...
Ready, Steady, Go!
You Go Squirrel!
Fluffy Muffin
Dinner For One
It’s Almost Like She Posed For Me After Taking The Peanut
Introducing Skillet! He's A Little Guy
The Squirrels Outside My Work Seem Pretty Content
Squirrel!
Enjoying The Sun
Lunch Time
Whenever It Rains She Has A Bad (Cute) Tail Day And A Super Smiley Face
A Little Ball Of Fluff
Enjoying A Frozen Treat
I would love to have squirrels to give treats to and experiment with like this photo, but we moved into a new subdivision about 7 years ago and our area has no trees. The only trees we have in this area are the ones we have planted ourselves andtheyjust aren't really large enough for wildlife to live in and play on yet.. I saw my one and only chipmunk for about 3 seconds on my sidewalk this spring and it immediately ran away to never be seen again. I can't wait to see if we get more wildlife and chipmunks and squirrels to live in and around our trees and flower beds as everything becomes more permanent and grows larger. We do have gorgeous large varieties of hummingbirds that return every year to our home.
Light Shopping
Nut Thief
This Squirrel I Saw Had A Little Canister Strapped Around Its Neck
Eastern Gray Squirrel. Stopping For A Snack. I Loved How He Was Sitting. Taken In My Neighborhood (Florida)
Sweet Stella
Laurel And Hardy In Their Morning Milk Coma
I Have Covid Now So I'm Back At Home With Stinky
Saw A Squirrel With A Strawberry Yesterday
Name: Undecided. Occupation: Terrorizing Other Squirrels And Eating Peanuts
Adorable Squirrel Just Eating
Friendly Work Squirrel Visiting Me On A Bench
That precious little tongue blep and tiny bottom squirrel lip has me liquefied!
This Weekend’s Visitor
I Can’t Believe It’s Been One Whole Year Since Annabel Passed Away She Was The First Squirrel I Really Got To Know
I miss her so much. Two of her babies also died that day but the other three were rescued, the rehabbers that looked after them did such a wonderful job and I thank them a lot. Here are some photos of Annabel and I love recognising Annabel in the squirrels in the churchyard and seeing her character live on.
Lester Grabbed A Peanut! Ginger Has Been Guarding Them Like Fort Knox
Almond Joy
When They Pause To Look At Me Like This - Heart Melted
Back Door Lil Joe, Our Latest Edition To The Squirrel Crew In The Back Yard
Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel After A Meal
Trying To Take My Lunch Break But A Cute Young Squirrel Is Following Me Around, Climbing On Me And Trying To Get Into My Car
I would think this means they want to live with me now, lol. Let's go home little friend...
Our 2 New Baby Squirrels Sharing Their Food
A Yosemite Squirrel
Squirrels Drinking My Boba Tea
Rescued A Baby Squirrel This Weekend. Love These Little Critters
Squirrel Friend
Red Squirrel Spotted In Quechee, Vermont
Double Squirrelly Fun! Lester And Lulester On The High Wires
My Girl Rocket Enjoying Playing In The Grass
Another Contribution To The Sploot Zeitgeist
Cute Squirrel
Little Squirrel
That's a Boop I can't ignore. It's just so obviously the perfect opportunity.
Mr. Squirrel Comes Here For Peanuts
A Health Conscious Squirrel
So Cute
Have A Good Start To The Week All
So freaking adorable!! I wonder what the story behind the ear is. 🤔. We have one at work I feed named stumpy because she lost her tail somehow 🥺 but she has been around for a solid 5 years now.
Squirrel Just Vibing With A Cookie
Little Friend
Stand Up If On Weekend Countdown?!
“Are You Talkin’ Ta Me?!”
My Little Squirrel Friend When Her Fur Is More Fluffy
Wow You Grew All These Sunflowers For Me?
Frosty The Squirrel Man
Squirrel On A Sunday
If You Don‘T Look Too Closely, It Looks Like The Kid Can Float
And I've got another one. I often bring them nuts so they're used to the sound of the bag. I tried what he would do if I gave him the whole bag. His reactions were just adorable. :) https://youtu.be/GkP5G8IICxc
I haven't a picture, but I have a story. My internet went out every five minutes or so for weeks. I didn't have a phone, so I'd have to go to my parents' to call, go home to try the latest fix, go back to call again and hope I was able to get someone willing to go beyond telling me to reboot. What I didn't know was that others in my very immediate area were having the same problem. Finally, for lack of any other ideas, the cable company sent someone to clean the outside lines. A squirrel family had moved into the router.
If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I'd like to come back as a squirrel.
And I've got another one. I often bring them nuts so they're used to the sound of the bag. I tried what he would do if I gave him the whole bag. His reactions were just adorable. :) https://youtu.be/GkP5G8IICxc
I haven't a picture, but I have a story. My internet went out every five minutes or so for weeks. I didn't have a phone, so I'd have to go to my parents' to call, go home to try the latest fix, go back to call again and hope I was able to get someone willing to go beyond telling me to reboot. What I didn't know was that others in my very immediate area were having the same problem. Finally, for lack of any other ideas, the cable company sent someone to clean the outside lines. A squirrel family had moved into the router.
If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I'd like to come back as a squirrel.