Last September, I took a short trip to California where I visited the Sequoia National Park. I mainly focused on Giant Sequoia trees, however I could spend some time with photographing wildlife too, such as the Yellow-bellied Marmot or this Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis). This ground squirrel is a small chipmunk-like rodent, which is found in coniferous forests of western North America.

I encountered this Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel while I was hiking on a trail in the Giant Forest. This squirrel wasn’t afraid of me, moreover it seemed to be very curious about the strange creature with a photography equipment, so I sat down next to a small rock and all I had to do was to wait for it to come close and pose for my camera.

Gear: Canon EOS 7D, Canon 70-200mm F/4 lens, handheld