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
VIBRANT TIME-LAPSE VIDEOS CAPTURE BLOSSOMING FLOWERS

VIBRANT bursts of colour fill the screen as beautiful flowers blossom in these time-lapse videos .

AMAZING LIGHTNING PHOTOGRAPHY

STRIKING photos capture nature at its most raw and powerful during Earth’s most electrifying event .

HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE? COUPLE TIE THE KNOT UNDERWATER

A diving mad couple have finally taken the plunge, having tied the knot 30ft underwater .

ABANDONED TEXTILE MILL

HUNDREDS of colour coordinated yarns lie abandoned in this once thriving textile mill .

PUTIN'S TINY ARMY 

Some parents would gasp at the thought of their children playing with a toy gun, but these Russian children are actually encouraged to take up real arms .

PUPPY RUN OVER BY TRAIN GIVEN NEW LEASH OF LIFE

A tiny puppy who lost his front legs after being hit by a train has been given and new LEASH of life with a set of wheels .

AMAZING AMERICAN LANDSCAPES

This tranquil setting stretches for miles as the sun sets behind the mountain .

OPEN WIDE! MONKEY GIVES FRIEND AN UNEXPECTED DENTAL CHECK-UP

This cheeky macaque gets up close and personal as he examines the dental hygiene of his fellow primate .

MAN LOSES 20 STONE AFTER FOOD ADDICTION RUNS UP £15K DEBT

A man has lost an incredible 20st after his addiction to food left him £15k in debt .

THE EVOLUTION OF GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL

PEACE and love filled the 1980’s Glastonbury fields as relaxed festival goers kicked back and soaked up the atmosphere .

VICTIM SAVES HER RAPIST'S LIFE AFTER HE OVERDOSES FOLLOWING ATTACK

A woman has told how she saved the life of her own rapist after he overdosed on pills shortly after attacking her .

WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS DIVE

Standing on the edge of a never-ending black hole, this is one leap you wouldn't want to make .