Squirrel takes horse and carriage for a ride

A red squirrel took the reins of a horse-drawn carriage as if it was about to treat itself to a ride.

Photographer and artist Geert Weggen snapped pictures of several curious rodents as they seemed to climb aboard the carriage.

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Mr Weggen set up the carriage with seeds and other pieces of food to attract inquisitive squirrels at the edge of a forest near to his home in Bispgarden, Sweden.

He waited out of sight close to the scene over several days in order to get the best shots of the squirrels that came to take some of the food.

Eventually Mr Weggen's patience was rewarded when several squirrels arrived at the edge of the forest to have a look at the food.

The 48-year-old photographer said: "The squirrels are more active now that the first flowers are beginning to bloom and spring is in the air.

"This horse and carriage was very fragile. Several times, it fell apart, so I was lucky with the days when it held together.

"I put some seeds behind the horse every time and hoped they would follow it to the carriage."

Mr Weggen was able to observe a variety of different red squirrels over the course of several days, which remain common in Sweden, though their numbers have diminished in the UK.

He said: "When I look back at the photos and see that they have the quality I am looking for, then I am very happy.

"It was frustrating and fun at the same time. I had high hopes and expectations and then saw everything falling apart so I had to wait until the squirrels were gone and start over again.

"It was funny to see how they interacted with the scene when it started to fall apart. They got confused every time and they were standing on all the parts to carry on eating."