The squirrel was made an honorary citizen of Banff in October 2009 by Banff Mayor John Stutz. These actions led to an estimated 82 million impressions through various forms of media within a few weeks, according to the board.
The tourism board also contacted independent developers that created social media applications around the squirrel photo to include web links back to their web site. The Park saw a brief surge in visitors shortly following the viral spread of the image, and the board set up "Banff National Park Squirrel" Twitter and Facebook pages, using the Columbian ground squirrel as an "ambassador" to Banff. The photo of the squirrel has since been used by the Banff tourism board to attract visitors to the area. While some questions of the photo's authenticity were raised by Matt Lauer, the Brandts were able to demonstrate that the single photo was legitimate and part of a whole set of photos that they had taken during that time period. The appeal of the picture is related to both the fact that the squirrel is perfectly in focus, and that its pose is reminiscent of the gopher from Caddyshack, with "paws held at chest level, eyes staring dead at the camera", according to Mike Celizic of The Today Show. Through this appearance, the photograph spread virally across worldwide newspapers and the Internet, popularized by sites such as Cute Overload. In August 2009, the Brandts submitted the photo to the National Geographic weekly "Your Shot" contest in a bid to have the image included in an upcoming issue. The squirrel stood up right in front of the lens, and the Brandts were able to capture the image of the squirrel, clearly in focus, in front of the camera. While the couple were posing on some rocks next to the lake using a camera with a wireless remote shutter release to take photos of themselves, a golden-mantled ground squirrel began exploring the area. The photograph was taken by Melissa Brandts and her husband Jackson while visiting Lake Minnewanka at Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, in May 2009. The image has spread virally around the internet, making the Brandts, the squirrel, and Banff National Park momentarily famous.Ĭrasher Squirrel is the name given to a squirrel seen in a photograph originally intended to be a self-portrait of a Minnesota couple it can also refer to the resulting internet meme. A golden-mantled ground squirrel stands in front of a camera while Melissa and Jackson Brandts are taking a photo of themselves at Banff National Park.
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