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An Albino Grey Squirrel

No knitting discussion today.  It is more of the same with Viaduct and the UND scarf.  Today I want to talk about a phenomenon that happens in nature once in 100,000 times.  Let's start by filling in a few blanks first.

I have been walking regularly in Loring Park in downtown Minneapolis.  In Minnesota terms it is a relatively small park wedged between a major highway exit and the Walker Art Museum and housing on the other sides. I find it is a lovely place to start the day.  There are sculptures to walk among in the Walker's grounds, tennis and basketball courts and a small slough where both geese and mallard ducks thrive in Loring Park.  There were fuzzy goslings and ducklings when I arrived a month ago.  Both have lost their fuzz and the ducklings are now so big they no longer appear to be walking on water as they swim fast to keep up with mom.  And of course there are grey squirrels scampering around in the early morning getting their breakfasts as I walk by them.

Last year I saw only once a white squirrel among all the grey squirrels in Loring Park.  Just once without a camera.  Upon further investigation, I realized this was an albino squirrel, not a white grey squirrel.  Rob Nelson, a biolgist, has developed a website where he tracks white and albino squirrels across North American here.  (There is an interesting video he has prepared showing all the different colour variations of white squirrels.)   He prepares and keeps up to date a map of where white/albino squirrels can be found.

From Rob Nelson's website as of May 30, 2015
Note for those of you not so familiar with the U.S. that cluster of several red dots near the top of the picture is Minneapolis.  Yes, there seem to be several albino squirrels here.

This year I have seen the albino squirrel three times (the most recent this morning).  Each time I have been without my camera.  I have been close enough to see his pink eyes.  In my mind this squirrel is a male, but I have no scientific basis for this naming, this albino squirrel just seems to be a He squirrel to me.   Here are a few pics of the Loring Park albino taken by others.

Here he seem quite young and fit

Still looking fit, but perhaps a bit older than the first photo

Someone caught him in motion here
Is it me or does he seem to be aging?

I especially like the one in the tree where Mr. Albino Squirrel looks so sinister, but he really isn't; he is the type of urban squirrel that keeps his eyes on you and scampers away if you get too close.  I hope to get some photos of my own of this rarity before my summer ends here.  All I need to do is remember to take a photographing device with me as I walk which seems quite doable.

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