A rare white squirrel made another appearance in St. Clair Shores on Tuesday, March 17, delighting a resident who spotted it in her backyard tree.
And maybe giving a little extra luck on St. Patrick’s Day?
Arielle Andres said she had just arrived home from work when she noticed the “white ball of fluff.”
“I was still on my phone in the car for a little bit before I looked up and noticed it was right there,” she said. “Then I went inside and knew I could get a good view of it from my library room upstairs if it was still there.”
It was.
The squirrel remained nestled in the branches in Andres’ backyard, giving her time to snap clear photos of the unusual visitor.
Another rare visitor — or a familiar one?
White squirrels are rare and often draw attention when they appear, making sightings like this a small but enjoyable surprise.
According to the White Squirrel Institute, white squirrels are typically either albino or leucistic. Albino squirrels have pink or red eyes and noses, while leucistic squirrels — which are more common — usually have dark eyes and may show slight variations in fur color. Both conditions are rare, with albinism estimated to occur in about one in 10,000 animals.
The squirrel appeared to be an Eastern gray, with dark eyes, pink ears and nose, and no visible fur patterns.
White Squirrel Institute Director Katy Rosenberg said she looked through older reports and pictures and found that “there have been sightings of totally white squirrels with dark eyes” in Michigan. Based on Andres’ photos and previous leucistic sightings in the area, she said, this squirrel was likely leucistic.
It’s unclear whether the squirrel Andres spotted near 13 Mile and Jefferson Avenue was new in town or one that has been seen before.
The last similar sightings in St. Clair Shores gained attention in October 2025, when fast-moving white squirrels, also believed to be leucistic, were seen darting through neighborhoods near 13 Mile Road, Harper Avenue and Share Street. While some residents may have spotted the same animal back then, Facebook posts suggested they could have been different squirrels.
White squirrel sightings can be reported to the White Squirrel Institute, a North Carolina nonprofit founded in 1997 by Robert Glesner, who earned a Ph.D. in biological sciences from the University of Michigan. The institute also offers squirrel adoptions starting at $25.
Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: White squirrel makes rare appearance in St. Clair Shores backyard
Reporting by Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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