Chelmsford Wildlife Rehab Center Rescues Rare White Squirrel

CHELMSFORD, MA — It's a warm and fuzzy holiday story: After finding a rare white squirrel by the side of the road, apparently hit by a car over the weekend, a wildlife rescue has taken it in. The squirrel was able to walk, but had some head trauma, according to volunteers who are working to nurse the little furry guy back to health.

"He is doing pretty well considering what he has been through. Every day he shows us a little improvement," said Newhouse Wildlife Rescue owner Jane Newhouse. "He seems to be slowly regaining control of his movements and is spending more time awake. We are keeping our fingers crossed that he regains full control of his body again so he can be released."

The squirrel is the wildlife rescue's first white squirrel, but gets the same treatment as any Eastern Gray Squirrel, because, technically, that's what it is, she said.

Newhouse Wildlife Rescue is a wildlife rehab facility in Chelmsford run by volunteers dedicated to educating the public on how to coexist with the wild animals in the area. They take in and help rehabilitate injured, orphaned or otherwise compromised wildlife for free, according to the rescue's website.

The rescue got its wildlife rehabilitation permit in Massachusetts in 2017. Before she came to Massachusetts, Newhouse had been rehabilitating wildlife in Georgia for six years when she was a veterinary technician, she told Patch.

The white squirrel has a white hue because of a genetic mutation that causes a lack of pigment known as Leucism. When two Gray Squirrels with the recessive gene mate, the offspring will appear white. Albino squirrels have pink or red eyes.

Check out some squirrel facts:

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).