Travelling abroad always brings its fair share of surprises, especially when you find yourself in a rural setting surrounded by unfamiliar wildlife. Canada was no exception.
During our stay in Nanaimo, we rented an A-frame lodge tucked away in the forest along the coast. Each day seemed to bring a new encounter — deer wandering across the path, squirrels darting around, and even a few joining me on my morning runs.
One morning, however, we were convinced we’d stumbled upon something a little more sinister. Looking out of the cabin window, I spotted a chipmunk lying flat on its back just outside. It looked for all the world like it had been attacked, or perhaps snatched up and dropped by a bird of prey. Motionless, it appeared to have died right there in front of our cabin.
Still half jet-lagged, it took us longer than I’d like to admit to finally investigate… only to discover that our tragic little chipmunk was, in fact, a garden ornament that had been knocked over.
I couldn’t help but laugh at myself — though I did feel a little foolish. Naturally, I had to take a photo of the culprit, and even as a statue, that chipmunk manages to look oddly malevolent.
Keith Tomlinson Photography 