Farmers' 'forgotten fruit' saves the day for tiny tree-dwellers

Farmers in Wuyi County of Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province, have enjoyed a bumper harvest this year. After weeks of tireless work, their rice, corn, soybeans and other crops have been put into storage and their fruits picked, notably persimmons and oranges. Yet some remain hanging in orchards and on country lanes. Deemed not suitable for sale, they serve as a surprise winter treat for birds and squirrels, helping them make it through the grueling winter. This photo taken on Dec. 22, 2021, shows a bird feasting on persimmons. [Photo: VCG]

Farmers in Wuyi County of Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province, have enjoyed a bumper harvest this year. After weeks of tireless work, their rice, corn, soybeans and other crops have been put into storage and their fruits picked, notably persimmons and oranges. Yet some remain hanging in orchards and on country lanes. Deemed not suitable for sale, they serve as a surprise winter treat for birds and squirrels, helping them make it through the grueling winter. This photo taken on Dec. 22, 2021, shows a bird feasting on persimmons. [Photo: VCG]

Farmers in Wuyi County of Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province, have enjoyed a bumper harvest this year. After weeks of tireless work, their rice, corn, soybeans and other crops have been put into storage and their fruits picked, notably persimmons and oranges. Yet some remain hanging in orchards and on country lanes. Deemed not suitable for sale, they serve as a surprise winter treat for birds and squirrels, helping them make it through the grueling winter. This photo taken on Dec. 22, 2021, shows a bird feasting on persimmons. [Photo: VCG]

This photo taken on Dec. 22, 2021, shows a squirrel feasting on persimmons in Wuyi County of Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province. [Photo: VCG]