I'M READY FOR MY CLOSE UP NOW, MR NUTKIN

Red squirrels are well known for their intelligence and curiosity but when one snapper caught this furry little guy trying to take his own self-portrait he couldn't help but be taken aback. Professional wildlife photographer Simon Philpotts had only turned his back for a moment during a session spent snapping a new colony of red squirrels near his home in Wensleydale, North Yorks. But as he headed into a nearby hide to set up some equipment, he spotted one furry-tailed photographer commandeering his camera. After climbing up the tripod and sniffing about the rig, Simon captured the sneaky scamp seemingly attempting to take a picture of himself - placing his foot on the shutter release and sticking his nose into the lens. Simon, 38, said: "We are getting a lot of squirrels at the moment and they are very curious. This little one decided to climb up my tripod and basically try and take my camera apart. At one point it looked like he was trying to take a self portrait.

Other great stories
SLEEPING BEAUTIES

Lying angelically with a range of expressions etched on their tiny faces, little bundles of joy are innocently captured in their first few days in these adorable photographs .

GAME, SET-TEE AND MATCH: COUPLE INSTALL TENNIS COURT IN LOUNGE

A WIMBLEDON-mad couple will be creating a racket this summer - after installing a TENNIS COURT in their living room .

VICTIM SLAMS SENTENCE AS THUG WALKS FREE FROM COURT

A woman brutally beaten in a revenge attack has slammed the soft sentence handed to her assailant .

KITCHEN HORROR: I WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AFTER HAIR CAUGHT FIRE ON GAS STOVE

In April 2018, Lourdes Cuello, 50, from New Jersey, US, was making a cup of tea when her hair and hoodie caught fire on her gas stove .

SIBLING RIVALRY

SURROUNDED by a snowstorm, these young polar bears battle the elements - as well as each other .

EXERCISING OTTERS

A group of otters put on a show of aqua aerobics, as they raise their flippers perfectly in sync .

HEARTBREAK DIET LOST ME 11.5ST AND BAGGED ME A FELLA

When Janet Curry, 38, was told she was ‘too big to date’ by a man she met on the dating website Plenty of Fish, she didn’t let it stop her from looking for love .

MONKEY BATH

RAISING his foot into the air, this cheeky monkey offers an unusual wave .

NATURE'S MOST STUNNING SHAPES AND PATTERNS

FROM ICE bubbles to boiling lava, these photographs highlight the stunning shapes and patterns found in nature .

HUNGRY TURTLE ATTRACTS AN AUDIENCE

SURROUNDED by divers, a hungry green sea turtle enjoys being the centre of attention .

McDIVING

HOTSPOT MEDIA - McDIVING CRAZE GOES VIRAL - DRUNK students have brought the term 'extra-value meal' to a new level in a bizarre internet craze sweeping across McDonalds chains - McDiving .

ENTER THE LOST WORLD

Some will get up close and personal with Mother Nature’s deadliest animals to get the perfect shot, posing the question, what lengths will a photographer go to for that all important picture? But in this case, the question should be what depths .