居住在高山上的土撥鼠居民個性相當害羞,看到陌生人經常都會躲起來;但一名8歲的小男孩威路士(Matteo Walch)卻意外和牠們變成朋友,而且每年都會到阿爾卑斯山上探望牠們2個星期,深厚友情至今也已經維持超過4年的時間。
威路士的父親是一名教師,不僅帶著兒子接觸大自然,也經常充當攝影師,記錄兒子和土撥鼠相處的點滴,他說,兒子相當喜愛動物,而他散發出的情感土撥鼠們似乎也懂得,所以不害怕,待在他身邊;也得以記錄下來,我覺得這很棒,因為我一直很想捕捉動物們最真實的一面,除了彼此之間的互動,還有和自然環境的調和。
威路士和他的父母住在奧地利因斯布魯克,每年都會挪出兩個星期到阿爾卑斯山上探視「老朋友」,威路士的父親說,從觀察動物的過程中,可以體會到自然和生命的連結,而我現在也開始嘗試更美麗和有趣的拍攝風格,讓其他人也能有機會看到,享受動物們的美好世界。
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Special bond: Matteo Walch has struck up an unlikely friendship with a group of marmots in the Austrian Alps
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Furry friends; The schoolboy from Innsbruck first met the clan of marmots four years ago on a family holiday and has returned every year since
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Unlikely pair: The normally shy marmots show Matteo nothing but affection when he visits them at Hohe Tauern National Park in Austria
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A member of the clan: The marmots gather around Matteo when he arrives and lets him feed them and play with them despite normally running away from humans
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Matteo and his family spend two weeks every year in the Alps visiting his marmot friends
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Nose to nose: A marmot greets eight-year-old Matteo on the slopes of the Austrian Alps
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Jealous: One marmot is so keen to get his attention that it has climbed up into Matteo's lap for a cuddle |