When George Mallory was first asked why he climbed Mount Everest, he tersely replied, “Because it’s there.”
This kitten probably thought just about the same thing as it ascended to the top of wildlife photographer Mitsuaki Iwagō’s head.
Iwagō just so happened to be in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture photographing and filming stray cats for a special that aired on NHK (Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai, or the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation) when a stray kitten decided it wanted to get up-close and personal with Iwagō. The tiny ginger cat walked slowly but confidently over to the photographer and settled in for a little rest. After the cat nap, the kitten climbed up Iwagō’s arm and up to Iwagō’s head.
Iwagō, for his part, never lost sight of his other subjects despite the extremely cute distraction. He stayed professionally glued to the viewfinder, shooting away. Even as the kitten began to meow from atop his head, he doesn’t move or shift at all. Instead, Iwagō simply stated, “Hmm” as a way to acknowledge the kitten’s noises.
How adorable!
