Nod Approvingly At This Squirrel Stocking Up On The Essentials, Then Carry On With Your Day

When you're stressed out by the news, you might retreat into the pages of a book, or focus on a jigsaw puzzle, or bask in the comforts of working dough with your own two hands. Jeffrey Wang, a Scottish photographer, apparently deals with stress by coaxing small woodland creatures to pose as if they're grocery shopping. The pandemic has brought all kinds out of the woodwork, I suppose.

The 26-year-old visionary told Metro that, feeling "bombarded" by coronavirus-related news stories, he was recently inspired to head out into the forest in Westhill, Aberdeenshire (along with some props) to create a lighthearted photo collection of squirrels stocking up on staples—like hazelnuts—for their quarantine.

Wang speaks with the modesty of a true artist. "Usually I just take pictures of squirrels naturally doing their own thing, but that was just an idea I had," he told Metro. He also tried to get some shots where it looked like the squirrel was fighting with a stuffed animal for the last roll of toilet paper, but he wasn't as pleased with how that series turned out. The mini shopping cart, purchased on eBay for a few pounds, was the crown jewel of the portfolio.

If you, like Wang, hope to spend your quarantine approaching backyard wildlife like David Attenborough, take the photographer's advice: "I know a spot where that particular squirrel roams and I'll go along, leave the nuts, and in about half an hour it'll come and go, and each time I'll move closer. It gets comfortable with me being around. After it was more comfortable I got to within three meters."

So, there you have it. Bribe squirrels with nuts and you might get a good photo out of it. If that's not really earth-shattering news, well, it still succeeded in its mission of dealing with subject matter that's not you-know-what.