Boy shares a cuddle with his cute marmot friends

You’ve heard of the “Horse Whisperer,” but Matteo Walch is the marmot whisperer. Check out these four heartwarming images above of the 8-year-old Austrian communing with the normally exceedingly shy creatures in the Alps. The soul mates first laid eyes on each other during a vacation four years ago, and Mateo and his family have returned to this location every year since. "It’s amazing to watch the connection between a boy and his animal friends," says Matteo’s dad, who snapped these up-close-and-personal images and congratulates himself on not scaring off the large ground squirrels with his photography equipment. Most amazingly, the critters remember Matteo year after year. Oh, and don’t worry, Austria is rabies-free. [Source]

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