Encounter with a squirrel

 

Penguin biscuits 

I was in London and had an important decision to make. At the meeting they had handed out some Penguin chocolate wafers. I'd never heard of them.

I decided to make my decision by walking through Hyde Park. As I walked along the Serpentine, I stopped to eat my uninspired sandwich and remembered the wafer. I opened the wafer, bit into it and immediately noticed that there was nothing chocolate about it. Just the synthetic flavor.

On the rim of the garbage bin sat a corpulent squirrel, watching me. When she sat up it was quite obvious that she was preggers. I looked at the ingredients on the wrapper (squirrels should not eat chocolate) but this was safe. Mostly various fats and sugar.

I had some experience with wildlife rescue centers. Squirrels are actually omnivores. They are fed nuts fruit  veggies while being rehabilitated and even mealworms especially when they have a litter. Those that do not migrate away for the winter need the calories. Grey urban squirrels had displaced the red one, because they had adapted to a different diet.

Here's a tame squirrel stealing some candy.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FunnyAnimals/comments/11iox8d/candy_thief/?share_id=OaYQciY94aBuMbZvQS7JZ&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

I broke off a piece and handed it to her between thumb and index finger. She daintily grabbed it and polished it off. She looked at me for more.She simply sat there, her paws tucked in waiting to be fed. I broke off another little piece. Again, she gently took it from my fingers and nibbled away.

A woman had stopped to watch us. "It's lovely to see", she said. I nodded.

I was having a moment of interspecies mutual trust with lady squirrel. Nature had tapped me on my shoulder as a fellow blogger had taught me. As I continued on my thinking walk, I was in a better mood, because of this gentle encounter. Made my decision, which turned out to be the right one.