A stoat scurrying across the red carpet💨

In stark contrast to the stoat, a powerhouse of muscle dashing with incredible energy, I was completely exhausted from concentrating so hard on filming.💦
It's a time of tension and excitement—an indescribable feeling.

Photo courtesy of @sachiko_photos

The photo captures a stoat gracefully running across a mountain slope painted with autumn leaves! Its cute yet powerful appearance has garnered comments on social media like, "The stoat dash is so cute," and "You can really feel the energy."

An Encounter with the "Mountain Fairy" Stoat: "A Miraculous Moment"

"Stoat kits" previously photographed by Ms. Tsuchiya

The photographer is Sachiko Tsuchiya, who photographs wildlife in Hokkaido. Ms. Tsuchiya captured this stoat in Hokkaido's Daisetsuzan National Park. It was scurrying around the rocky areas, hunting for mice.

Wildlife in Daisetsuzan, photographed across different seasons

Ms. Tsuchiya began photographing in Daisetsuzan in 2017, "driven by a single-minded desire to see a pika." However, even when she climbs the mountains almost every weekend, she rarely encounters a stoat. "There are years when I don't see one at all," she says.

The first stoat Ms. Tsuchiya ever photographed. This picture won the grand prize in a contest.

Even if she is lucky enough to spot one, it quickly disappears into a crevice in the rocks, and its elusive nature makes it impossible to know where it will appear next. Despite these challenges, she has successfully photographed a stoat in its white winter coat, accumulating a series of miraculous encounters with this "mountain fairy."

A pure white stoat, which she has "only encountered a few times in nine years of visiting."

"I Want to Protect the Environment Where Animals Live": Photographer Sachiko Tsuchiya's Passion for Wildlife

Ms. Tsuchiya's photos of flying squirrels will be featured in a calendar.

Ms. Tsuchiya works as a nursery school teacher in Engaru, Hokkaido. She continues to take photos in her spare time, and her pictures capturing the lively figures of wild animals have won numerous awards. Furthermore, her photos of flying squirrels will be released as a calendar in 2026.

Through her photography, Ms. Tsuchiya has become keenly aware of the "environmental changes" affecting nature and the animals that live there.

The sight of a stoat dashing through the autumn mountains is the very embodiment of the powerful life force that thrives in nature. Ms. Tsuchiya's photos, capturing these fleeting moments, seem to quietly speak to us not only of the beauty of nature but also of what we must protect.