In the hills of Austria you can find magical moments unfolding as a child discovers how to speak to the animals, in this case marmots, and relate to them on their level.
Whether he knows exactly what they're saying or not is anyone's guess, but his special rapport with the normally shy marmots is truly something special, and their connection makes for some magical photo-ops.
12-year-old Matteo Walch became pals with the alpine marmots at an early age, when his mom Michaela introduced him to the joy of nature and he had the good fortune of meeting a colony of marmots.
They've come back to Grossglockner for two weeks a year ever since, where Michaela takes some great shots that truly capture the unusual yet heartwarming bond between Matteo and the marmots.
Alex first posted about Matteo and the marmots back in 2012, and it's interesting to see that even though Matteo is now a tween the marmots still see him as their little buddy!
See Adorable Photos Of A Young Austrian Boy Enjoys A Special Friendship With Shy Marmots here