The art of taking selfies has officially been adopted by the animal kingdom, and it’s one of the most hilarious things going viral right now. From zoo residents to family pets, these animals are posing, smiling, and even grouping up for the camera. The resulting photos are both adorable and fascinating, as they provide a window into the private lives of the wild’s most mysterious creatures.
While it’s possible to make pets take selfies by touching a smartphone screen, for more exotic animals, a clever method was created. It’s called camera trapping, which means the photo is taken when the animal touches or approaches a motion-sensing device near the lens. It’s a totally safe and non-invasive trick, and it captures even the most dangerous predators in candid, sincerely funny moments.
One mischievous monkey in Indonesia caused a scandal with her selfie in 2014 after she got her hands on a British photographer’s equipment. The images were stunning, and lead to several heated court cases over their true author and copyright holder. It was finally determined that the monkey – a gorgeous Celebes crested macaque – took the pictures herself, making them public domain. Now everyone can freely enjoy her irresistible toothy grin.
Take a look at some of the best animal selfies making their way around the web right now, and while you’re at it, double-check that your own furbaby hasn’t run off with your phone.
#1
Selfie With The Crew
#2
Self-Portrait Of A Female Celebes Crested Macaque, Who Had Picked Up Photographer David Slater’s Camera And Photographed Herself With It
#3
Chillin’ With The Gang
#4
Omg Quokka!
#5
I Woke Up Like This
#6
My Cousin Wanted A Selfie With A Kangaroo
#7
But First Let Me Take A Selfie
#8
Beautiful Husky
#9
Bella Takes A Selfie
#10
Tufted Titmouse Selfie
#11
Horse Selfie
#12
Pikelet Taking A Selfie With Foster Puppies
#13
Mondays
#14
Selfie Time
#15
Selfieeee
#16
BFF Selfie Time
#17
Lion Selfie
#18
BFF Selfie Time
#19
Rabbit Selfie
#20
Caught Our Husky Taking Selfies In Bed
#21
Selfie Level: Highly Concerned
#22
It Was Our First Attempt At “Selfie Sunday”
#23
Travelling In Indonesia, Monkey Pick Pocketed Me And Left Behind This Selfie
#24
Cat Takes Selfie To Prove He Is Being Abused
#25
Charlie The Sea Otter Takes A Selfie In The Exhibit
#26
Monday Morning Selfie
#27
Just Hanging Wif My Friends
#28
I Found A Series Of Selfies On My Camera. The Milk Teeth Aren’t Helping
#29
Kitten Selfie: The Very Best Kind Of Selfie
#30
When You Take A Picture And The Selfie Cam Surprises You
#31
Fresh Out Of The Shower, No Makeup, Selfie!
#32
Selfie! Deffo Got My Best Side
#33
Baby Sloth Selfie
#34
Tried To Take A Selfie With My Dog. Turned Out Great
#35
It’s A Selfie
#36
Smile!
#37
“Lol Just Me Cooking In The Kitchen”
#38
Bae Caught Me Slippin
#39
Elephant Selfie
#40
Selfie Time
#41
This Little Goober’s Selfie
#42
Taught My Chickens How To Selfie
#43
Kangaroo Selfie
#44
I Met This Little Guy Today, But First He Took A Selfie
#45
It’s An Instagram Koala Takeover!
#46
When You Accidentally Open Your Front Camera
#47
Cat Wanted To Take A Selfie
#48
So Today I Was Taking A Photo Of A Litter Of One Week Old Puppies When I Got Photobombed By My Other Dog
#49
Let A Sloth Take A Selfie On My Phone In The Amazon
#50
What Cat?
#51
How Do I Look?
