A resident in South Dakota recently made an extraordinary discovery in their backyard—a completely white creature perched in a tree. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be an albino squirrel, an exceptionally rare animal with a probability of only 1 in 100,000 to be seen.
The sighting occurred in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the unusual white squirrel was found hiding in a tree near the first hole of a local golf course. Unlike the typical gray-brown squirrels familiar to most, this albino squirrel displayed pure white fur and pink eyes, a result of a genetic mutation that prevents melanin production.
The Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Department shared this precious footage on their Facebook page, highlighting the squirrel's fluffy tail and nimble paws, which are characteristic of squirrels but strikingly different in color. The department noted that such albino squirrels are incredibly rare, with only about one in every 100,000 squirrels exhibiting this condition.
This particular albino squirrel was spotted near the first hole of the Prairie Green Golf Course, seemingly observing golfers as they played and battled the sand traps. The local community quickly embraced the sighting, and the squirrel was affectionately named "Q-Tip".
Officials have encouraged locals to respect the animal's space to ensure it can live a long and peaceful life. They also invited people to keep an eye out for this rare creature, suggesting that if spotted, one might toss it a few nuts and capture a photo to share, as such a sighting is truly once in a lifetime.
