Real life Dr Dolittle reveals the art of taking animal selfies

Real life Dr Dolittle reveals the art of taking animal selfies

Every millennial knows that mastering the art of the perfect selfie is a difficult feat, but not for adventurer Allan Dixon.

The self-styled 'animal whisperer' has managed to take selfies with a variety of animals, from domesticated dogs to adorable squirrels, wild donkeys, and even kangaroos, placing him in the same league as Cesar Millan, the dog behaviorist, aka Dog Whisperer.

The real-life Doctor Dolittle is originally from Wicklow, Ireland, but he is currently living in Australia.

In an interview with RT, Dixon explained how he managed to tame the beasts (or cute animals) to capture the vaunted selfies.

"You have to be still, lie down, gain their trust in their environment for a while," Dixon said.

"Most of the time they're more scared of you than you are of them."

Dixon's 2013 selfie with a quokka - a marsupial found on smaller islands off the coast of Western Australia - has over 1,300 'likes' to date on Instagram, and it started a quokka selfie trend. The photo was even featured on Japanese game shows.

"Once you're in their presence for some time, they'll usually come and check you out. There's a fine line between curiosity and survival. The main aim is to make them know that they are safe being around you. Get up close as you can, but slowly," Dixon advised.

And his dream animal selfie?

The king of the animal kingdom, a lion! He admitted to RT that the selfie would be quite a far shot, and it may be the last selfie he ever takes.

In the meantime, he will stick to selfies with more conventional animals like lambs and birds.

grongloh@sph.com.sg

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