The couple (the supposed object of the photo) are miles off in the distance, hiding behind some rocks and are way out of focus.
The Squirrel however seems to be in focus. If the squirel wasn’t the object of the photo then it should be out of focus instead and the couple should be
much nearer, perhaps in front of the rocks they seem to be hiding behind
My camera has an auto-focus thingy that would (in the situation described) focus on the nearest thing it recognised as a face.
Not saying you’re wrong, just providing a datapoint.
ETA: And I think it looks like they were trying to get as much of the background in, too.
FIRST he popped up in a family happy snap, now Crasher the squirrel has fast become a viral internet sensation, as his presence continues to change world history.