Since launching in 2007, Google Street View has mapped the world through millions of photos, allowing users to explore far-off places right from their screens. With cameras mounted on cars, bikes, and even people, Street View has captured countless unexpected and amusing moments along the way.
While some users enjoy virtually traveling to remote and rarely visited locations, others scour Street View for candid, unfiltered snapshots of everyday life, especially the hilarious animal encounters caught by chance. No filters, no staged poses, just creatures being their quirky, unpredictable selves.
We love these accidental yet delightful moments, especially when animals steal the spotlight! Below is a collection of times when curious critters photobombed the Street View camera, bringing unexpected joy and laughter. Scroll down to see the best shots, and let us know your favorites in the comments!
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Originally, the Google Street View camera was mounted on a van and driven through city streets. However, to capture more remote and inaccessible locations, Google developed the Trekker, a portable, backpack-mounted camera system. This allows Street View images to be taken in areas that can only be explored on foot, as long as the wearer can handle its hefty 40-pound weight.
“Our goal is to provide the most comprehensive, accurate, and useful map possible,” Deanna Yick, Google Maps’ Street View Program Manager, told Tech Insider, “so that Google Maps is a mirror of the real world.”
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“It’s not just about pretty pictures and giving people a sense of what things are like,” Yick explained. “We’re using this imagery for conservation, historical purposes, learning, and education.”
If you’re interested in capturing your own Street View images, you can apply to borrow the Trekker by filling out a form on Google’s website. However, be prepared, Street View photographers need to be in top shape. According to Yick, they spend long hours on their feet, often carrying the 40-pound Trekker backpack. Think you could handle it?
Before heading out on assignments, photographers receive training at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, to ensure they’re ready for the challenge.
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While Google Street View remains a key tool for navigation and familiarizing oneself with new areas, Yick hopes people will also embrace it as a platform for exploration.
“People are comfortable using it as a day-to-day tool for navigation, but it’s so much more than that,” she said. “The fact that I can use Google Maps to step into the Pyramids of Egypt without booking a flight or learning a new language, that’s really exciting.”
“We’ve discovered that just because the road ends doesn’t mean there’s nothing more to see,” she added.
“That’s where the good stuff is, off the beaten path.”
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