A series of photographs showing a ground squirrel pausing to smell a yellow flower continues to draw attention years after it first appeared online. On Oct. 24, 2026, the account @Complex shared three of the images on X with the caption “Even squirrels know how to appreciate the little things in life,” crediting photographer Dick van Duijn. The post quickly collected hundreds of likes and more than 16,000 views.
The pictures capture a European ground squirrel standing upright in a grassy field, its front paws gripping the stem of a bright yellow daisy-like bloom. In successive frames the animal reaches toward the flower, presses its nose into the petals, and closes its eyes as if savoring the scent.
Dutch photographer Dick van Duijn took the photos in June 2019 on the outskirts of Vienna, Austria. Van Duijn, who is based in Noordwijk in the Netherlands, had traveled there specifically to photograph the ground squirrels, also known as ziesels. He is a self-taught wildlife photographer who previously worked in his family’s fish business.
On the first day of the trip he and a companion observed the animals’ behavior. The next day they spent hours photographing. In the soft light just before sunset one of the squirrels approached a yellow flower, held it, and began to sniff. Van Duijn later described the moment to PetaPixel: “When I saw this happening in the viewfinder of my camera, I already knew I had captured a very beautiful and intimate moment. I felt very happy and satisfied with the shot.”
He estimated he took roughly 200 photographs during the encounter. The squirrel eventually tasted the flower as well. Van Duijn shared the series on Instagram in the months that followed. By September 2019 the images had spread widely, appearing in outlets including the Daily Mail, New York Post, and numerous other publications.
Van Duijn has said the ground squirrels had long been on his photography list because of their curious and acrobatic nature. He continues to sell limited-edition prints of the series through his website, dickvanduijn.com, where the images remain among his best-known work. The photographs have been confirmed as authentic by fact-checkers, including a 2024 Snopes review that verified the sequence shows a live animal interacting with the flower.
The recent share by @Complex demonstrates the lasting appeal of the simple scene. Viewers still respond to the image of a small wild animal taking a quiet moment amid the grass, a reminder of the everyday details that can stop even a busy creature in its tracks.
