A nature photographer has captured the adorable moment a red squirrel appeared to play ‘Ken’ with a Barbie doll.
In the sweet snaps, which were shot in a private forest in Diepenbeek, Belgium, the squirrel plays with an abandoned doll and toy motorcycle.
In one shot, the critter appears to be pushing the toy doll, who is propped up on the bike.
In another, he has hopped up on the back to go for a spin with his new love interest.
The series of snaps show the squirrel with his hands on the Barbies shoulders, clutching on as he explores the toy.
In one particularly funny shot, the red squirrel raises one arm in apparent exhilaration – seemingly showing off that he is comfortable with the vehicle.
The images were shot by Belgian photographer Niki Colemont, 36, who has been photographing squirrels for six years.
Niki captured the moment using a Nikon Z6II and a Sigma 150 600mm lens, having left the toys outside to try and tempt a squirrel to interact with them.
“I always try creating something new and be original,” Niki told NeedToKnow.online.
“It’s a great feeling when you have an idea that you want to set up and see that it worked out like you had in mind. That’s just so crazy.
“It brings me so much joy knowing how much time I spend creating these pictures and that I can share it with the world.
“Preparation is very important to me. I always try to let the squirrel adapt to the set up before I take my shot.”
The photographer is particularly interested in squirrels.
He said: “I somehow developed a special kind of affection for squirrels.
“I consider them the perfect models. They can do a lot of things that humans can.
“They are cute, curious, persistent, and very smart.
“The goal of my photos is to show people what you can achieve without Photoshop and how smart squirrels really are.
“I hope that my pictures can bring joy to many who view them and that I can make them forget their problems, even if this is for two seconds.”
