This rare white reindeer calf posed for photos in Norway

Well, isn’t this adorable? A photographer from Norway was able to get a glimpse of a rare white reindeer. And it seems the animal had plenty of personality — it even posed for a couple of photos!

Mads Nordsveen, the person lucky enough to snap some photos, posted his series of shots to Instagram. Shortly thereafter, the post began to go viral — and it’s easy to see why. Once you scroll through the photos on Instagram, you’ll probably be tempted to share them yourself.

After all, who could possibly resist this cuteness? Click through his post below to see all of his stunning photos.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq7S3wIh96s/

“Met this white little reindeer in northern Norway,” the post read. “He almost disappeared into the snow.”

Nordsveen was quite surprised by just how much personality this little animal had to offer and how long it stuck around. Camera shy? We think not!

“It was a very special moment, felt so magical. We looked straight into each other’s eyes. I was actually so stunned that it took some seconds before I got reminded by my photographer instinct to grab the camera and save the moment forever,” he told Insider.

Nordveen also said that a moment like this with any animal, let alone one as stunning as this one, is quite rare.  “Before trips, I do quite a lot of research to find the best locations and views,” he said. “However you can not plan magical moments like the reindeer’s photos!”

Dr. Nicholas Tyler, from the Centre for Saami Studies at the University of Tromso in Norway, told the BBC that spotting a white reindeer is a rare occurrence. They’re especially hard to spot since they blend in so well during the winter months. During the summer, however, the animals are “highly conspicuous,” as their white fur becomes increasingly easier to see.

We’re certainly glad Nordsveen was able to spot this adorable creature, especially given the time of the year.  Just like the reindeer do in all of our favorite classic Christmas stories, this guy brought a little cheer to the world this season.

As Tyler suggested, however, this isn’t the first time a rare, white animal picture has graced the internet. For example, just last year, a white moose was caught on video in Sweden by Hans Nilsson. The footage was viewed millions of time on Facebook:

The moose doesn’t seem nearly as interested in the camera as the reindeer calf was. But hey, catching the animal on camera is still quite the coup — even if it doesn’t exactly smile and say “cheese!”

What do you think of the friendly little white reindeer? Does this have you inspired to travel to Norway to track one down?

We don’t know about you, but we’re adding “snap cute photos of white reindeer” to the bucket list now!