Wildlife Photographer Details the Scariest Day He Had on the Job
Wildlife photographers go out into the middle of nowhere hoping to find animals in their natural elements and waiting for the perfect moment to capture their beauty on film. Isaac Spotts is my favorite photographer on TikTok; his photos always blow me away. Instead of photos, he shared a story on Sunday, March 10th detailing his scariest day on the job.
The video starts with Isaac explaining that the question he always is asked is if he's ever felt like he was in danger when encountering an animal. He said no, but the one time he was really scared was when he was photographing a rare grey owl. Listen in as he describes how he went seven miles off course and thought he might not make it out of the wilderness.
I would've been absolutely terrified! I love to hike, but I'm always scared that we will get lost in the middle of nowhere and never be found. I couldn't imagine seeing grizzly bear tracks and fur all over the place, knowing that I might even be being followed. Talk about a major job hazard! Isaac's fans left more than 300 comments about his ordeal. @yolandaclark945 said exactly what I was thinking, "I'm scared, and I wasn't there!!" @halldog47 shared a good suggestion, "You will probably never see this… but get a Garmon watch. It runs off satellites and you can have it track the trail you walk. So if lost, you can literally follow your steps back exactly."
Related: Wildlife Photographer Shares the Story Behind an Intimidating Photo of a Grizzly Bear
Facts About Rare Grey Owls
Owls are incredible predators, and I could watch them all day. We have one who lives in our neighborhood, and I stop what I'm doing to watch him whenever he makes an appearance. Grey owls are beautiful and fascinating birds, and I can see why Isaac could lose time tracking one to photograph. He spotted another one back in November 2023 in Yellowstone National Park who's just hanging out watching the autumn leaves fall. The photo is swoon worthy!
Grey owls are solitary animals. They are alpha predators and don't have many predators themselves other than the Eurasian Eagle-Owl. They are nocturnal and hunt at night for voles, squirrels, chipmunks, and other small animals. Their favorite are voles, which they can eat up to seven of every day.
These guys can hear everything, and their sense of hearing is amazing. They have asymmetrical ear openings, and the left ear opening is positioned higher on its head than the right. This allows them to locate and find invisible prey relying solely on sound cues.
And while they look huge, believe it or not they only weigh about 2 and a half pounds. They are definitely small but mighty as All About Birds said, "One bird reportedly broke through snow that was hard enough to support a 176-pound human."
I hope to see one of these birds in the wild someday. My pictures won't be nearly as beautiful as Isaac's, but I'll definitely try to capture such a wonderful moment!
Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.
