Our Sweet Squirrel Encounter at Mabalingwe
There’s something so peaceful about slow mornings in nature — sipping coffee, listening to the birds, and simply soaking in the quiet beauty of the world around you as we enjoy breakfast together. One morning during our honeymoon at Mabalingwe,(a place that quickly became one of my favourite holiday spots) we found ourselves in this perfectly peaceful morning on one of the days we were not rushing off for an early morning game drive. Sitting on our balcony, surrounded by the sounds of the bush, I decided to throw out some apple pieces for the birds, hoping to capture a few photos of them enjoying their breakfast as we enjoyed ours.
But instead of the birds swooping in first, we ended up with an unexpected (and utterly adorable) guest—a little squirrel!
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We watched, completely enchanted, as the tiny creature scampered across the balcony, cautiously approaching the apple pieces. With tiny, delicate paws, it picked up a piece and began nibbling away, its fluffy tail twitching as it enjoyed its surprise snack.
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The way it held the apple and took quick little bites was almost too cute to handle. The little guy (or girl) sat on our table (a distance away from us though and nibbled on an apple slice for a while before shoving a small piece in his mouth and grabbing another one off the table before hurrying off to enjoy his new treats in the safety of a nearby tree.
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I had my camera equipped with my lovely zoom lens at the ready to capture some birdies that morning but I had maybe even more fun shooting this adorable, fluffy tailed friend.
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I am not going to lie, I seriously just wanted to hold and cuddle the little guy!
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For a while, we simply sat there, coffee in hand, watching this sweet squirrel go about its morning feast. It was such a special moment. I love being so close to nature that you can watch the wildlife go about their day! I kept whispering to my new squirrel friend "I just want to take cute portraits of you, don't worry I won't hurt you" And I wander if he understood me...
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Such a fun morning just enjoying the simplicity of nature and wildlife, scampering across our balcony. Thank you for stopping by - I hope you loved my squirrel portraits, it was so much fun watching and photographing the sweetest fluff ball!!🐿
All photographs are copyrighted to the author
~ AJ Champz
Photography instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ajchampz.photography/