As the old adage goes: “never work with children or animals.” It’s a phrase meant to indicate the unpredictable nature of toddlers and wildlife which – however delightful – aren’t always the most cooperative colleagues. While many of us would revel in the sort of Disney’s
Snow White scene that sees wildlife flocking to you when shooting on location as a photographer or videographer, the curiosity of wild animals can be something of an obstacle.
In what can only be considered a gift to the Twittersphere, Joaquin Campa recently blessed his timeline with a 40-strong thread of “animals interrupting wildlife photographers.” Featuring animals from all over the globe, including meerkats, seals, and penguins, the thread is a soothing brain balm for doomscrollers everywhere. Some shots are reminiscent of Naruto the crested macaque, whose “selfie” became the focus of a years-long legal battle between the photographer David Slater and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who were arguing that since Naruto took the photo, the image couldn’t be copyrighted by Slater. The unusual case culminated in a settlement, in which Slater agreed to give 25% of profits from Naruto’s selfie to groups that protect crested macaques and their habitat in Indonesia.