Makoto Ando's Image

Makoto spent hours hiding behind a tree in the hope of seeing this owl couple pose or perform. Then a squirrel appeared. It approached the owls’ nesthole and peered in before suddenly leaping away and speeding into the forest, as if realising its mistake. With equally quick reactions, Makoto framed the squirrel’s frenzied escape under the owls’ watchful gaze.

Ural owls prey on small mammals, including red squirrels. The red squirrels on Hokkaido have characteristically tufted ears, bushy tails and grey-tinged winter coats. In other regions, grey squirrels have outcompeted red. They have also spread a virus that is more likely to kill red squirrels than grey.