More sightings: It turns out white squirrels are quite popular in Lincolnshire!

After news of a rare, white squirrel hit the headlines on The Lincolnite and MyLocal, more Lincolnshire residents have been sharing their images of the white-furred creatures, prompting suggestions that our county could be somewhat of a hub for the peculiar animals.

This week on The Lincolnite, we published a story about a peculiar sighting of a rare, white-furred squirrel near Lincoln.

Pictures of the squirrel were submitted by Kevin Bishop, who said the animal was roaming around in his parents’ garden over the weekend.

The striking squirrel has unmissable white fur and is a real anomaly among squirrels in the UK. | Photo: Kevin Bishop

The distinctive fur on this squirrel meant that it could have even been an ‘albino’ squirrel, of which some wildlife experts predict there are as little as 50 in the entire United Kingdom.

However, it has since been recognised as a leucistic squirrel, meaning it has a genetic trait that turns its fur milky white. Unlike albino squirrels, those with leucism don’t have red eyes.

| Photo: Kevin Bishop

That isn’t to say that there are no albino squirrels in Lincolnshire, though. Local resident Laura Carter got in touch to say that she has a daily visitor to her garden, in the form of a white-furred squirrel with red eyes.

Despite the estimated lifespan of an albino squirrel being much lower than that of a grey squirrel, mainly due to its lack of camouflage in woodland areas, this particular squirrel has been around for quite some time.

Laura says she sees this squirrel most days. | Photo: Laura Carter

Laura has lived at her current home for seven years, and says there has only been a one-year break in which she hasn’t seen the adorable creature throughout this time.

This regular visitor can be seen roaming around her garden without a care in the world, and while a name hasn’t been given to him yet — Laura has settled on the simple but effective Mr White Squirrel.

| Photo: Veronica Bradshaw

That’s not all! Veronica Bradshaw contacted us to say that she had a visitor to her garden in Lincoln during the first COVID-19 lockdown.

This white squirrel did not have red eyes, so likely has the leucistic genetic trait, and this particular furry friend was more approachable than most.

Veronica was able to get right up close and even hand feed the animal, after what she describes as “perseverance.”

A white-furred squirrel spotted in a garden in Lincoln, back in 2020. | Photo: Mark Allen

Add to this the previous reports of white squirrels in the area, whether they were spotted by resident Andy Brown in 2018 or Mark Allen on Wragby Road in 2020, and it would seem that, as rare as white squirrels are statistically, they aren’t that rare to spot here in Lincolnshire.

There have also been mentions of one spotted at Louth Golf Club, while Kim Jackman said she thought she was “hallucinating” when she saw a white squirrel roaming in her garden in Lincoln.

Have you seen a white squirrel in Lincolnshire before? Share your stories and pictures by emailing [email protected].