MICHIGAN, US: You might not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you can certainly teach a squirrel how to water-ski, as this remarkable picture shows.
Twiggy the squirrel sent the crowd nuts at the Family Fun Zone in St Joseph, Michigan Saturday as she displayed her amazing aquatic skills.
The talented rodent stands on a specially made skis holding a miniature cable as her owner tows her around the pool with a remote-controlled toy powerboat.
Keen to promote a message of safety to the youngsters in the audience, Twiggy never ventures into the water without her custom-made miniature life vest.
There have in fact been four Twiggys over the years. The original was rescued as a baby by Chuck and Lou Best of Florida in 1978 after it was blown from its nest during a hurricane. The idea to teach her to water ski began as a joke after Mr Best bought his daughter, Lalainia, a remote-control boat. When his friends accused him of having bought it for himself he replied: ‘I have to learn to drive the boat so I can teach my squirrel to water-ski.’ Twiggy has now achieved celebrity status and currently tours the U.S, drawing large crowds wherever she goes. She has appeared in two films, ‘Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story’ and ‘Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy.’ –DM