Hilarious Wildlife Photos That Are So Bad They're Good

Ah, nature — when it isn't taking people's breath away with its awe-inspiring beauty, it's making them run for their lives with its unpredictable danger. Either way, the great outdoors makes people want to grab their cameras. You never know when you're going to snap a once-in-a-lifetime pic of Earth's most majestic creatures, but unfortunately for these 20+ photographers, these pics ended up being memorable for all the wrong reasons...

1. A very hangry squirrel

We’ve heard of being “hangry,” but this is next level! This poor little guy hasn’t eaten since his breakfast of acorns and berries, and he’s starting to get a little irritated. If all we ate was nuts and fruit, we’d be in a bad mood, too.

2. Puppy-coon eyes

Who could refuse those sweet puppy dog — or raccoon — eyes?! We never knew that a trash-eating raccoon could ever convince us to cuddle on the couch. Judging from his guilty stance, he may not be this homeowner’s favorite pet. But those adorable peepers certainly warm our hearts!

3. The party animal

“Did someone say party?” We know a party animal when we see one, and this tiny snake is one of them. Just don’t let him get too wild; the last time that happened, a bunch of guests ended up with snake bites. Maybe we should leave him off the guest list this time…

4. The lawn mower family

After a long day of cutting the lawn, the last thing this homeowner expected to find in the lawnmower bag was an entire possum family! We can tell from her fierce eyes that this mama marsupial would do anything to protect her babies...even if it means a bumpy ride in a lawnmower!

5. Unsuccessful dive bomb

Aaaand he doesn’t quite stick the landing. We’re not even really sure what’s going on here, but we do know that the legs are supposed to be under the water, not on top! Maybe the swan saw a particularly delicious-looking fish and simply had to dive-bomb into the water.

6. Where's Snow White?

Hey, this is a private meeting of the woodland creatures society! This curious photo-taking intruder clearly wasn’t invited, if the surprised-looking deer and raccoons are any indication. If only we could understand what they’re saying — where’s Snow White when you need her?

7. Baby squirrel's adventure

Apparently, this adorable baby squirrel had fallen out of his nest and into a goat pen! Thankfully, a bystander was able to scoop the critter up into a shovel and bring him back to the tree where his nest was. He was soon reunited with his mom. We love happy endings!

8. The uninvited guest

Imagine looking out your window at sunrise, all excited to see if any little sparrows have nibbled at the bird feeder, when suddenly you see this. No one invited a wild turkey to the tiny bird breakfast! We’re gonna need a bigger birdhouse.

9. Born to perform

Ring cameras have captured some pretty strange images in the dead of night before, but this one might take the cake. We’re not totally sure what he's posing for, but this raccoon seems to love being in the spotlight. He’s ready for his close-up!

10. Watch out!

If you feel like you’re being watched, take a look out at your garden. You just might find a very quiet statue-like hawk hanging out in a potted plant! Those beady eyes are sure to scare away any pesky mice or insects. Just don’t water him by accident.

11. Get the holy water

Yeah, this is the stuff of nightmares. Emus are beautiful birds, but close up, they look more like the terrifying creatures from our night terrors. Only this time, we’re already awake! Walk away, you demonic emu...walk away.

12. Just chillin'

This guy doesn’t look freaked out by having a camera in his face. In fact, he might just be the most relaxed creature we’ve ever seen. We don’t think anything could get in the way of this toad and an afternoon nap, not even a pesky photographer.

13. He's Insta-famous

We’ve all been there, buddy. Selfies can be tricky! All this guy needs is better lighting, a cute filter, and longer arms, and he’ll be the new hottest thing on Instagram. You were born for the spotlight, squirrel! The camera loves you!

14. Give the bear some honey

“Hiya! Can I talk to you about your car’s extended warranty? No? You’d like me to leave your property immediately? Before I go, would you mind sharing some of that honey with me? After all, the life of a bear salesman is hard enough without having some honey.”

15. Beware the white rose

Just when you think you’ve stumbled upon a peaceful nature scene, bam! A deadly spider comes along to remind you who’s boss. The photographer probably got quite the shock when they saw the rose up close. Don’t get too close, though — he can probably smell fear.

16. Old friends?

Well, not every wildlife photo can be a majestic masterpiece. Sometimes, wildlife is simply chaotic and downright strange, like when a photographer snapped this photo of a buck and his tiny bird friend. Maybe the bird was just trying to be friendly?!

17. We all hate Mondays

Talk about wild! This guy clearly didn’t expect the flash to go off on the camera. We’ve all been there. This is what we look like on roller coasters...or on Monday mornings. Someone get this bird some hot coffee and a tranquilizer, stat.

18. An ear-y sight

There’s something missing here, but we can’t quite put our finger on what it is — oh yeah, the face! We gotta say, there’s still something really cute about this photo, even with the missing doe eyes. You could almost say this little guy is...adeerable (sorry).

19. Wee!

Is this even real? We know this photographer was probably just in the right place at the right time, but still. We had no clue that birds could fly with their wings by their sides and with their little legs curled up! This little critter looks more like a toy than an actual bird!

20. Get this guy a towel

Now we know why squirrels usually aren’t aquatic animals. This poor little animal looks like he just returned from the world’s worst trip to the water park. Hopefully, he’ll look a little less like an evil creature from the black lagoon when he dries off!

21. Mind your own business

A little privacy, please! It’s pretty rude of this guy to just walk up and intrude on someone’s private property — and we’re obviously talking about the photographer here. After all, it’s not every day that you stumble upon a giant toilet in the middle of someone’s yard! That is a toilet, right?

22. Run!

Whatever you do, don’t mess with an angry goose. Actually, maybe it’s best if you don’t mess with any goose, period. They’re notoriously fickle creatures and can go from friendly to psychotic in a matter of seconds. Let’s just hope this poor sap escaped with her ankle intact!

23. The 'chill' adventure

Take a close look at your pre-packaged lettuce, everyone — you just might have a little hitchhiker on your hands...and in your fridge. Luckily, this green dude was discovered and rescued before he became a salad. He’ll be extra thankful for warm weather after spending three days in the refrigerator!

24. He's on the case

Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive...it’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s...a flying squirrel! This speedy guy may not have powers like Superman, but he’s still on an important mission. After all, someone has to gather enough acorns before winter.

25. Shut up, Karen!

“What do you mean, you’re closed?!” This uptight goose has “Karen” written all over her. We can practically hear the annoying honking from here. Maybe you should just let her into the store; she clearly doesn’t plan on giving up anytime soon!

26. Nope!

We’ve heard of a deer in headlights, but not a deer looking like headlights! If we came across this sight on a dark, deserted road in the middle of nowhere, we’d be heading for the hills...unless there are more creepy yellow eyes hiding in the hills, in which case we’ll simply be passing away, thank you.

27. The feud

You know what they say about real estate: location, location, location. That’s why this owl is so happy to finally have a safe home in a pleasant neighborhood...if only the home hadn’t belonged to this squirrel first! Looks like we’re about to have a good ol’ neighborhood feud on our hands.

28. Makeover time

Eh, not every cardinal is a looker. This guy has clearly seen some messed-up stuff in his short life, if the permanently-shocked look in his eyes is any indication. All he needs is a makeover (and a hairbrush) and he’ll be ready for his close up again!

29. Duck you!

We’ve heard of "flipping the bird," but this is just crazy. It’s no wonder this photographer got the finger — or, uh, the feather. This duck specifically requested that no one film him and put him on the internet, but someone went ahead and did it anyway. Respect woodland creatures, please!

30. An excellent photobomb

All this mama kangaroo wanted was a nice photo for the family photo album, but nooooo! Her little kangaroo baby just had to jump right into the photo. This is some next level photobombing right here. All you mischievous children out there, take notes from this little guy!

31. Just ignore him

We beg of you: don't open the door! Trust us, you don't want Brian the Giant Insect as a houseguest. It's not that we're scared of him, but he's gotten into the habit of pooping everywhere and hovering around every light source. Plus, he always expects you to feed all 104 of his larvae!

32. Big mouth

Imagine hearing a loud screeching noise and seeing this in your window? Maybe this bird simply has some juicy neighborhood gossip to share. After all, he has a big mouth. Like mother always said: keep your friends close, and your gossiping seagulls closer.

33. Dancing queen

We all missed letting loose in the club during the pandemic, but not as much as this raccoon, apparently. He's become quite the dancing queen recently, and his moves on the pole have only gotten better. Maybe he'll end up becoming a professional pole dancer!

34. Freak of nature

Well, you don't see a headless penguin everyday. We don't think he's a freak of nature; his head is just bent really far back..right? Maybe he's just camera shy! Either that, or we have a zombie penguin on our hands.

35. Home sweet home

Ah, the circle of life! This lucky photographer was able to watch this duck mom lay eggs, care for them, and then bring her babies into the world. They look like such a happy family, swimming around in the photographer's apartment's pool. Hopefully they get to a pond soon!

36. Territorial birds

This is what happens when you leave the window open all weekend! The room is yours on Friday, but come Monday morning, you'll find it's been taken over by some very territorial birds. Good luck getting them to leave!

37. Nature is...beautiful?

Unfortunately, not every woodland creature looks like they just popped out of a Disney movie. This possum looks like he'd much rather go back to nibbling the plank of wood and averting his eyes from the sunlight than be a part of your Instagram photo.

38. Chipmunk butt

Sandy Cheeks, is that you? Nope, it's just a very adorable chipmunk with, well, sandy cheeks. He just needed a quick drink of water before going back to his daily chipmunk activities, and this photographer just happened to be in the right place at the right time. So cute!