A friend of mine in a large city in China was thinking about starting a non-profit like I have done, so he wanted to know if we could meet and talk about the process. Since it was a nice day, we met in a park. That is where I realized how much of a sheltered life I have lived.
As we walked in the park, I was absolutely stunned when I saw a black squirrel playing on the ground and in some trees. When I saw the bushy-tailed critter, I pointed it out to my friend. He calmly said, “Yeah, that is the black squirrel; everybody knows about it.”
This surprised me on a couple of levels. First of all, you don’t see much wildlife at all in China, especially in a mega city. Secondly, I have never heard of, much less, seen a squirrel that was black.
As you can see from the picture above, the squirrel is eating a peanut. This wasn’t just any ole’ peanut; this one was one that had been left for him by a pedestrian in the park. My friend shared with me that this little black squirrel was some what of a popular local figure. Many people would go to the park and leave nuts for their friend.
As you can see, this squirrel has a peanut in his mouth, too. He has found another one that was strategically left for him in the tree. I am sure he hopes the people will keep coming in the winter! I have got to get out more, because I never know what I will see next!