As most any anthropologist will tell you, it's impossible to observe a subject during fieldwork without influencing their behavior, at least subtly.

We were reminded of this liberal arts axiom — what Wikipedia calls the "Observer-expectancy effect" 

Anchored around animals interrupting wildlife photographers (both politely and, well, rudely), the heartwarming photochain effectively flipped the traditional script, turning the photographers into the photographee.

From foxes and cheetahs to meerkats and seals, the image set revealed a more intimate and playful connection between the curious critters and their would-be documentarians.

From foxes and cheetahs to meerkats and seals, the image set revealed a more intimate and playful connection between the curious critters and their would-be documentarians.

Curated by @Polychromantium, a Denver-based writer and poet, the gallery caught fire previously with members of the wildlife community and was shared on Twitter where it quickly tallied more than 127,000+ shares and was anointed with the platform's official editorial badge of virality, a peg on the its coveted Momentsvertical.

For your scrolling pleasure, the best of the bunch are collected below!