Let’s face it, not all of us are professional nature photographers with work appearing in National Geographic or in David Attenborough documentaries. Most of us only have our phones handy when we encounter wildlife. Even if we are equipped with proper photographic equipment, animals sometimes just do the unexpected, leaving us unprepared. Unless we’re in possession of the latest iPhone, or are particularly adept at capturing the right moments, most of these shots end up being pretty lousy. Although, let’s be honest, they can also be hilarious. From upturned ducks to accidental close-ups of penguin feet, terrified herons, to ferocious felines.
Lets start this Wildlife Photos Gone Wrong
Skunk battalion
Did you know that there is a Facebook group dedicated to shabby wildlife photography? This haunting shot is just one of many posts there. This person’s cat, Bailey, ran away from home, so naturally the thing to do is install a tracking camera.
This shot looks like it was taken on a crazy night safari. Eventually, they found Bailey hanging out with a group of skunks. From this angle, it looks like Bailey is riding the backs of these skunks into battle. Better be careful rescuing Bailey from this group! You don’t want to be sprayed with that skunk stink.
Giant bird
This is what happens when you take photos with your camera at f/16. That creates a lot of depth of field, making your subject the main focus of the photo. We assure you that this bird is of a normal size. It just happened to be parked on the hood of the photographer’s car.
Because the bird was so close to the camera, and the camera was set to f/16, it ended up looking like a giant compared to the humans walking behind. It does look like a King Kong situation. You better pray he doesn’t grab you in his clutches and take you away!
Frida Kahlo
This deer was just caught eating from the bird feeder, but don’t think we’re laughing about that! Just look at those thick eyebrows he’s sporting. That unibrow is a bit reminiscent of the famous painter Frida Kahlo, don’t you think?
Are we the only ones who think that the unibrow is V-shaped? It’s a V that stands for victory, because this deer did win. He seems pleased with himself and the fact that he managed to steal some food from the birds.
Taking a walk
This is why you should be careful when camping or traveling to an area with a lot of wildlife. Pro Tip: Don’t forget to check that the doors are locked before you get out of your car. Otherwise, you will end up with a bear in the trunk waiting to take you for a ride in the city.
Fortunately, these travelers managed to call the forest guard to trick the bear into leading him outside. We seriously wondered what the bear was looking for in the trunk to begin with. Perhaps just a shady place to relax on a hot day?
Mood the 2021
If 2021 took its toll on you, then you probably look like this heading into the new year. With a global pandemic and a raging recession, we don’t entirely blame you. This elephant seal feels the same way we all feel.
A couple of travelers were on the beach trying to find some elephant seals. When their attempts did not lead to any success, they decided to go back home, and suddenly one of them almost tripped over a hibernating elephant, thinking it was a puffed up stone. Imagine the shock!
Penguin nuptials
People visit Antarctica for many different reasons, penguins being one of them. But no one ever expected to witness two penguins joining in sacred marriage right next to the beautiful waters of Antarctica.
With his back to the camera, that penguin appears to be the minister in charge of the ceremony, and the happy couple even appear to be holding hands. This can either be a wedding, or a gossip session between bipeds.
Balancing act
We have heard of mountain goats being able to scale the sides of steep mountains. But have you ever heard of a little deer that can swing over a fence? Well, you’re in luck, because we have photographic proof of that here.
Just kidding, they’re not actually walking on the fence. And it’s not exactly small either. They are your average deer friends. This is only a result of exact camera distance and angle. We’re fooling you around here, aren’t we?
A majestic moment?
It is somewhat annoying that the quality of this photo is impeccable. And yet, it’s essentially a photo of an eagle relieving itself. She seems to be very proud that she is doing it on the ground and not in the skies.
At least he pooped in front of the photographer and not on her. You have to take those small victories of wildlife photography, because we never know what the animals around us can do. We wonder, with all the possible shots the photographer could have taken, why this one?
A Possessed Wendigo
Warning: the following photo has the ability to haunt you in your dreams. We are not responsible for any nightmares you have after watching this. This is what a woman found in her front yard one night after she heard a noise and thought she was a friendly raccoon that had been rummaging through the trash for a while.
She didn’t expect to be greeted by a Wendigo when she opened the door. Wendigos are mythological creatures originating from Canadian folklore. It may just be a lost deer, but it also appears to be the first Wendigo ever captured on camera with a clear enough photograph to prove it!
Terrified Terry
This is Terry, a heron from Egypt. We don’t know what got Terry in that state, but whatever he was, we think he’s terrifying. Maybe Terry is looking at the year 2020 and thinking, “what a mess!”
Or maybe Terry is looking ahead to 2021 and thinking, “It’s even worse than before!” God, we hope it isn’t. Fly Terry. Fly, ideally to a place where you won’t see something that will mark you for life! If ever there was a photo that would sum up this period in time, then this is it.
I tripped over a pipe
Arguments happen in any marriage, and for the couple that owns this house, it’s no different. Today, they were arguing over who left that pipe in the middle of the path to the front door. Except, maybe it wasn’t a pipe at all…
After tripping in the dark, the wife complained that her husband had left a pipe lying around. The outside lights weren’t on, and she couldn’t see where she was going. When her husband firmly told her that he properly stored the pipes, the wife went to prove him wrong, when, lo and behold, they discovered that it was actually a snake.
One last take
Wildlife photography is an art form that requires a lot of patience. It’s even harder when you’re using an analog camera, and you have one last shot on your roll of film. This photographer used the last shot of him on a burping deer.
This photographer spent almost 30 minutes lying on his stomach on a cold winter morning. He was crawling in frozen mud, trying not to make any sudden moves that would alert this deer. When he finally got the chance, the deer met his eyes and belched just as he pulled the trigger.
Warning sign
Whenever you see an animal warning sign, whether it’s the fearsome dog behind the gate or the instruction not to feed the ducks, the best practice is to heed it. This sign about the geese is no exception. You have to keep walking.
This photo proves that there is no such thing as a “dumb goose.” They are quite aggressive animals and this one in particular seems to have something against this man’s backpack. It’s okay for him to keep walking, because who knows what would have happened if he fought back?
Play catch, but it goes wrong
Sometimes when you’re playing catch, the ball gets thrown too far, and you have to keep looking while you’re looking for it. Imagine finding your ball stuck, not in a gutter, or on someone’s roof, but in the antlers of a black-tailed deer.
Two things. First, that’s a pretty sturdy ball, since it doesn’t burst between the deer’s antlers. Second, don’t worry about the deer. They lose their antlers every year, and they grow back naturally, so this little man won’t have to worry about carrying the ball for long.
Lady and the tramp swamp edition
Yes, yes, we know that Lady and the Tramp did not take place in a swamp. But this wildlife photo could very well be a recreation of the infamous spaghetti scene, albeit this time it’s two animals of totally different species.
We wonder, who in their right mind threw spaghetti in a swamp? Who thought it would be a good idea to have a picnic near crocodile-infested waters? Either way, we forgive them, because he made for a funny moment between the crocodile and the turtle.
Someone needs a sweater
You wouldn’t normally associate Canada with exotic animals, but this squirrel roaming the north of the Bruce Peninsula looks as exotic as itself. You’ve seen hairless cats, but have you ever seen a hairless squirrel? Somebody get this little guy a sweater!
Though, luckily for him, he won’t have to deal with the mange that comes with having fur. Possibly our favorite part of this squirrel is the fact that it is completely bald, except for its tail, which is still completely bushy.
Brunch guests
Having a good patio near the forest has its advantages. It makes you feel like you are right there in nature. It is the perfect place to relax, eat and rest. But it seems that the patio owner is the only one who doesn’t think so.
This fox was wandering around one morning, and he flopped right onto the couch, like he was meant to be there all this time. He’s looking over his shoulder at the human who just showed up, as if to say, “Sorry to interrupt, honey, but I’ll be joining you for brunch.”
Torpedo bird
Did anyone know that birds have the ability to turn their heads at high speed, as shown below? The camera couldn’t even capture her face, and she ended up looking like she had a torpedo attachment on her.
Birds turn their heads to improve their vision. They can rotate their heads at up to an impressive 2,700 per second, which is what you’re looking at here. This act makes it look like the bird only has one giant eye, which is pretty terrifying.
Just one for the ‘Gram
You would think that most teenagers on vacation would be taking hundreds of photos for Instagram. This Facebook user thought the same about his son, but apparently he thought wrong. Instead of showing him many photos of her trip, he just showed her this one.
Of all the photos he could have taken on the shoreline, he decided that taking a photo of seabird tracks in the sand would be the best way to represent the journey. Everyone has their tastes, we suppose! We just hope he doesn’t post this on Instagram.
Stalker
There seems to be a peeping tom at the window. Someone is very curious to see what happens in the day to day of a working woman. In fact, she’s so curious that she didn’t even mind hanging from a ledge.
Maybe she was following the turkey sandwich this woman packed for her lunch, and was just trying to see if she could take a bite. Or maybe she just wanted a shelter from the heat. If that’s the case, someone let him in!
“Can we keep it?”
Imagine having a goose walking towards you with a seagull in its mouth. He is leading the bird by its tail, and the seagull is helpless, but the goose refuses to let go. It’s the equivalent of your kid looking up at you with pleading eyes at the pet store.
“Mom, can we keep it?” This goose doesn’t look like he’s giving up. He’ll keep his grip on this poor little seagull until someone tells him yes, honey, we can bring him home. Animals can be so goofy sometimes!
King of trees
This squirrel is the stereotypical grumpy old man’s equivalent, telling kids and neighbors to get out of his yard and leave him alone. She is the fattest squirrel in the garden, and she is very protective of her tree and her territory.
It eats from this house and from the neighbors, and chases away any other creatures that come to take its food or its place. No wonder she’s fat! She may be a lonely existence, but at least she’s nutritionally satisfied.
Lynx sighted
Animals may have night vision, but phone cameras have not yet achieved that ability. The photo below is the result of trying to capture a creature, possibly a lynx, using only a phone camera. See how he looks back at you?
If you turn your screen brightness to maximum, you will be able to see, more or less, the silhouette of a creature. But all you can really see are his two glowing eyes. It’s creepy and hilarious, because anyone who sees the photo without context would be very confused!
Surprise!
A couple of co-workers were out on a normal winter day at work. The task was to check wooden boxes of ducks. They thought it would be a one-time job, but they weren’t prepared for what would jump out at them when they opened the boxes.
Mice! They nest in duck boxes during the winter, which is very clever of them. Although they were not very happy that their rest had been disturbed. Look at this particular mouse chewing on this guy’s pants.
Grim Reaper Duo
Vultures are ominous creatures no matter where you look at them. They are usually hanging around dead bodies or rummaging through one. They generally carry bad omens with them, so when you see one in a hospital yard, you should be a little worried.
These two could be hanging out or hanging out after a nice meal. You know, finding a place to relax and take a nap. We are sure that it was just a coincidence and that they have no bad intentions by visiting that place that witnesses death on a daily basis…
Opossum sign
There is no place for Batman in this neighborhood. Nerd. Here we believe in the Opossum, and in times of danger, we cast the Opossum Sign in the trees. Whether it’s a litter emergency, or just a kid in need of entertainment, the Opossum will be here to save the day.
Although, some people are skeptical. They believe that the occasional opossum-shaped shadow that appears each night is actually someone’s Patronus. We’re not sure if possum patronuses exist, but we’re not here to deny the possibility.
Half… camouflaged
When you’re a delivery person, leaving packages at people’s houses can bring surprises. Sometimes the owners may be outside, but you can see the pet peeking out the window from behind a curtain. Or, you can run into this little man.
The sound of the delivery van probably scared this rabbit. We give it an A for the effort it took to try and hide behind this little bush. Don’t worry, little one, your camouflage is working, and no one is going to hurt you!
“I can help?”
Sometimes you want to take an uninterrupted walk through nature. Sometimes you just want a photo of the ground on a grassy fall day. And, other times, a bird gets into your shot and refuses to move until you take the photo.
It’s funny how this bird’s head appears in the shot. He probably realized that he had intruded on his territory and went out to confront him. “Excuse me, can I help you?” he said, looking into the abyss of the camera lens.
¡Squawk!
Here we have a view inside the mouth of a pelican, from the tip of its beak, to its tonsils. Our guess is that the pelican was hungry when it saw this photographer’s lens. “Squawk!” he said, “is that food I see?”
As seen from the shot, it appears that the pelican somehow managed to get a portion of the camera lens into its beak. Pretty impressive, right? We hope that you have found some other food after this attempt to nibble on an inanimate object.
Wrong object
Bird watching groups can be very pretentious, can’t they? Their knowledge of avian fauna is impressive, and they are able to distinguish between different varieties of birds. But when this amazing photo was posted on a Facebook group, no one flinched or gave this photo a like.
Okay, maybe you can’t even see the birds at first glance, or maybe even after a closer look. But maybe you can appreciate the quality of the shot? It is, objectively, a good photo, and you can actually see the two birds perched on top of the tree.
Peek-a-boo
This photo is the embodiment of the stereotypical raccoon rummaging through public trash cans. We wonder what these little guys are trying to find when they dig through the trash like this. Leftover burgers? An unfinished can of Sprite?
If you ask us, this particular raccoon seems a bit lost. Perhaps he realized that there is nothing to eat there. Can someone give him a hand so he can continue exploring for food somewhere else?
Raccoon on stilts
Here’s another piece of raccoon content for you. During the day, they dig through garbage cans, but no one really knows what they do at night. Until, of course, you take a picture of trees with the flash on.
This raccoon may be balancing between two trees, but it looks like he’s walking on stilts. Imagine watching circus shows in your own backyard. Unfortunately, his ominous glowing eyes also make it look like he’s about to attack. Take cover!
2021 christmas ornament
It’s 2022, and trees no longer have to be crowned with a star. Instead, you can go with the natural option of using a stick insect. It is slender, barely visible from afar, and it moves. It is, objectively, a better option.
We only joke. This stick insect may have come with the tree and decided to stay still as a stick, wink, wink. He looks like he’s wearing a suit with a tail, and the way his arms are outstretched has us wondering if he might be conducting an orchestra playing Christmas music.
Badger attack
Yes, this little guy may seem calm and innocent. But the woman who took this photo quickly learned not to mess with him. This was the last photo she was able to take before the badger madly chased her up a hill.
This woman wanted to take a photo of a nearby hawk, not realizing that this badger was close to her. When she started chasing her, she flew towards her husband, who was in the car. But her husband thought she was being chased by wasps or bees, and he walked away from her!
“Hello, humans”
Would you mind guessing what kind of creature this is? It is not a penguin or a dog, although we see a certain resemblance. It’s actually a curious elephant seal pup, peering through a fence at some fascinated humans behind the camera.
We’re not sure this little guy is anywhere near water, and another question you might be wondering is why they’re called elephant seals. That’s because you can’t see his nose in this photo. Elephant seals have trunk-shaped noses, similar to those of elephants. Isn’t that intriguing?
Photobomb with a bug
Nature has its ways of taking you by surprise. This was supposed to be the shot of a peony bud waiting to bloom. It is a beautiful magenta that would soon become a beautiful flower. But this critter wanted to join the party.
We can’t let wildlife get all the fame! This bug flew just as the photographer pressed the shutter. Now this photo looks like the bug is here to admire the peony bud. Honestly, we don’t blame him. It really is very beautiful.
check out this article about the cutest puppies ever