Firstly, the squirrels develop fluffy, insulative coats against the cold, which makes them very photogenic. I chose the winter season for several reasons. Ezo flying squirrels don’t hibernate, and they breed in both summer and winter. It’s a time when social activity increases, contests occur and dramas unfold. The breeding season is an ideal time to study any animal. “I would spend the next three winters on Hokkaido, getting to know its secretive squirrels” I would spend the next three winters on Hokkaido, getting to know its secretive squirrels. Nothing happened, except a dose of frostbite. So, we headed to Hokkaido, and I found myself standing under a tree during a howling blizzard, waiting. Hokkaido’s forests consist of deciduous and coniferous tree species With nowhere else to focus my pent-up photographic energy, I was game. They are not particularly rare, but their nocturnal tendencies mean they are not well photographed and that little is known about their behaviour. It was actually my wife who directed my attention to this subject – she had wanted to see these charismatic creatures for years. And thus I turned my attention to Pteromys volans orii, also known as the Ezo flying squirrel (momonga in Japanese), which is only found on Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands. The animals that I wanted to photograph were nowhere to be seen. You could say that I structure my life around the sex lives of fish.īut that year, the ocean was wonky. Capturing images of reproduction, for instance, necessitates being at a specific location at exactly the right time. I spend the bulk of my time documenting marine life, and this requires planning. This prolonged contest of wills commenced quite by accident. I was tempted to give up, but I was too stubborn. Many times I was defeated by their speed and stealth many times I found myself questioning the decisions that had led me here. For months, I trudged through snow-covered terrain or stood motionless, neck craned, staring high into the trees. “T HERE IS A MOMENT when it will all come together.” That is what I kept telling myself. Words and photos by TONY WU A male squirrel with what Tony describes as a “contemplative hand position” In the forests of Hokkaido, Japan, lives a small, cute, furry mammal with a superpower: it’s the Ezo flying squirrel ![]() ![]() A delightful Ezo flying squirrel, with wing-like ‘patagia’ spread, glides directly above Lift off! FLYING SQUIRRELS
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