Rare albino squirrel spotted in St Leonards

A rare albino squirrel was spotted in St Leonards this morning (Friday, December 10).
The squirrel spotted by Kieran Pons. Picture by Kieran Pons SUS-211012-150513001The squirrel spotted by Kieran Pons. Picture by Kieran Pons SUS-211012-150513001
The squirrel spotted by Kieran Pons. Picture by Kieran Pons SUS-211012-150513001

Kieran Pons said he saw it at the foot of the tower block in Stonehouse Drive. in the parking area before it made off to the wooded bank area to the right.

The odds of seeing an albino squirrel are said to be one in 100,000.

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After seeing one of Kieran’s pictures sent to the Observer, Charlotte Owen, WildCall pfficer at Sussex Wildlife Trust, said: “There are two kinds of white squirrel - true albinos have pink eyes due to a complete lack of pigment, but you may also see a white (or partially-white) squirrel with dark eyes due to a partial loss of pigment, caused by a similar genetic mutation known as leucism.

“This squirrel looks to have pink eyes, so is most likely a true albino.

“True albinos are generally quite rare because the albino gene is recessive, so it has to be present in both parents to create any albino offspring.

“That said, we do get reports of white squirrels quite often. It seems there may be a few particular hotspots emerging in Sussex, either because it’s the same squirrel being seen by different people or because there are small colonies of white squirrels surviving and reproducing.

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“We’ve had previous sightings in East Grinstead as well as Eastbourne, Bexhill, Hailsham, Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath among others.

The squirrel spotted by Kieran Pons. Picture by Kieran Pons SUS-211012-150536001The squirrel spotted by Kieran Pons. Picture by Kieran Pons SUS-211012-150536001
The squirrel spotted by Kieran Pons. Picture by Kieran Pons SUS-211012-150536001

“All sightings we receive are logged but since there has never been a comprehensive white squirrel survey undertaken in the county, we don’t know for certain how many there are.

“In the wild, albino animals don’t often survive as long because they tend to attract predators and they can also often have problems with their eyesight, making them more vulnerable to attack and accidents.

“This doesn’t seem to be a particular problem for white squirrels, particularly in urban areas, where their unusual appearance often results in preferential treatment from people sharing their lunch or taking food for them – and they’re always exciting to see.”