According to the National Day Calendar website, an online database listing fun and quirky unofficial “national days,” Jan. 21 is Squirrel Appreciation Day. In the town of Olney, however, the scampering rodents are appreciated every day — especially its colony of rare white squirrels.
The hyperactive, pale-furred critters can be spotted in various locations such as the Olney City Park off Route 130, where they are most active in the early mornings and late afternoons. Just how the white, bushy-tailed rodents arrived in Olney is a well-known local story.
“It goes back over 100 years,” says Olney Mayor Mark Lambird. “The first pair of white squirrels was brought to a general store in town, and people paid a few cents to look at them. Later they were turned loose and were able to colonize the area, so the numbers began to multiply over the years.”
In the early 1940s, that number stood at around 800, but the most recent count toward the end of 2025 estimates just around 60. Although Olney residents and city officials have embraced their white squirrel population, including city ordinances aimed at stopping dogs and cats from running at-large, giving the squirrels the right of way on streets, and making it illegal to harm them, nature doesn’t work in the pale squirrel’s favor.
Dr. John Stencel, an Arizona-based biologist who lived in Olney for 37 years and taught at Olney Central College, believes the white squirrels’ days may be numbered unless steps to protect them are continued. “Gray squirrels blend into the background, but the white squirrels are a much easier target for predators,” he says.
Whereas gray squirrels on a dark tree trunk are almost invisible from even a short distance, their white relatives are easily spotted from much farther away. From the air, owls and hawks snatch them up, especially any babies, and the rising population of hungry feral cats over the years has slashed their numbers. Even unrestrained domestic cats chase after them.
Found across the animal kingdom, albinism is an inherited genetic condition that causes a significant reduction in pigmentation of the skin, hair and eyes. Although the Olney colony exhibits white fur, the blue tint in their irises indicates they are not strictly 100% albino, which typically presents with pink or red eyes due to the absent pigment.
“There are degrees of albinism,” notes Stencel. “While it may be incomplete in the Olney squirrels, I still consider them to be pretty much albino.”
The absence of eye pigmentation also results in poorer vision, particularly in bright sunlight, making white squirrels generally more timid than brown-eyed gray squirrels with sharper eyesight.
Although the two groups largely coexist peacefully, Stencel has observed that gray squirrels tend to be more assertive during feeding, sometimes chasing off the more cautious white squirrels, at least temporarily. Despite this, the populations do interbreed, and gray squirrels with white tails are occasionally seen.
To keep track of the population, an informal annual Olney squirrel count was introduced in the 1970s and continues to this day on the first three Saturdays of each October. Volunteers come from all over the state and beyond, with the yearly counts clearly indicating the numbers have been declining.
Despite this, the white squirrels have unified the town through the years. They’ve been designated the town mascot and contribute to its economy when visitors stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, and buy from town merchants.
The local fondness for the animals is obvious after just a short drive through downtown. White squirrel figures are featured in many murals around town, some being obvious while others are more subtle.
Their images can be seen on city vehicles, including police cars, displayed on city banners and shop windows — they even have a road named after them. When the 2024 solar eclipse brought visitors to town, one merchant sold eclipse mugs celebrating the celestial event and also managed to squeeze a white squirrel into the mug’s decorative image.
Local stores, like the White Squirrel Shoppe on Olney’s Main Street, sell white squirrel figurines, books, Christmas ornaments, apparel, cookies, candles and much more.
“Almost everything we sell is related to white squirrels, much of it handmade ourselves, but if we can’t we’ll do private commissions,” says store owner Cindy Totten, who wants visitors to leave Olney with a white squirrel story they’ll be excited to share. “Everyone who comes in receives free peanuts — for the squirrels — along with a map directing them to areas where sightings are most likely.”
White squirrels also adorn local government buildings, including the Chamber of Commerce and City Hall, as well as the local public library, all of which contributed to the town being featured in national news coverage over the years.
“Even British naturalist David Attenborough mentioned the white squirrels of Olney in one of his nature documentaries many years ago,” says Lambird. “Near and far, we are proud to be known for our white squirrels.”
