Rare albino squirrel caught on camera in Portsmouth cemetery

Steve Patten, who works for BAE Systems in the city and took up photography as a hobby a few months ago, captured on camera the white albino squirrel at Kingston Cemetery on Saturday.

The 61-year-old was taking a walk with his wife for exercise at midday when he caught sight of the rare critter.

He said: ‘It’s one of the more extraordinary things I have seen.

‘They are very rare. I do feel quite lucky to have seen one.’

But it’s not the first time the Cyprus Road resident has seen the eye-catching animal.

He added: ‘I had seen one in Southsea before – this was sometime last year. I didn’t have my camera then.’

Last October, staff at the University of Portsmouth became so accustomed to seeing an albino squirrel visiting Ravelin Park, on the university’s campus, that they gave him a name – Monty.

It’s not clear whether Steve has caught sight of Monty – or if Portsmouth has more than one squirrel with the rare condition.

Though there are 2.5 million grey squirrels in the UK, it is believed there are just 50 that are albinos.

They are an uncommon sight partly because they are more vulnerable to predators, according to a spokeswoman from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

She said: ‘True albinism is the complete lack of colour pigments and as well as white fur they will have pink/red eyes.

‘Sightings have been reported before in Hampshire.

‘But likely due to the fact albino animals tend to be more vulnerable to predators such as foxes and birds of prey, because they stand out in the environment and have poorer eyesight, it is not common to see them.’

Anyone who sees an albino animal is encouraged to report it to the trust, helping it build a complete record of species distribution across Hampshire, with more information available on hiwwt.org.uk/species-records

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on portsmouth.co.uk. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to portsmouth.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit our Subscription page now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.