Erin Pelerine of Fredericton is making a name for herself thanks to her “nutty” obsession — snapping pictures of chipmunks and squirrels in her backyard.
“They are really cute, I think they are really cute. My husband calls me the rodent whisperer,” the amateur photographer said.
Pelerine says she started photographing birds and other wildlife in her backyard a few years ago. She changed her focus to squirrels and chipmunks after befriending a chipmunk she calls “Schmoopie,” named after her 13-year-old daughter Olivia’s childhood nickname.
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“Some people question my sanity with this stuff, I’m not going to lie, but if it’s worth a good shot I will do it,” said Pelerine.
After she and her daughter, Olivia Greeman, patiently trained Schmoopie to eat from their hands, Pelerine says she managed to capture some impressive photos of the furry little critter. She’s posted her various chipmunk and squirrel pictures on Instagram and says people go squirrely for them.
Pelerine now sells some of her photos and even made a squirrel pin-up calendar which is being sold to raise money for the New Brunswick chapter of the Canadian Diabetes Association, where she works.
Pelerine says she is willing to do just about anything to get a shot — even setting up an admittedly creepy stuffed chipmunk named Walter to lure new models.
“I put it outside and I sprinkle peanuts around it to lure the chipmunks over,” she said. “They love sniffing around it and posing for me.”
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