Snowball, Farrah, Sassy, Kris-T and Wilson — no, these aren’t the members of a new pop group.
They’re a family of white squirrels that have become mascots of the Westwood Park neighborhood.
Just north of Kimball High School, residents of Cliffoak Drive have named their furry neighbors, feed them early in the day and mourn their loss when an automobile-related tragedy strikes.
While some may consider squirrels pesky varmints and the bane of bird feeding, white squirrels don’t worry about hostility from this neighborhood.
“They’re not pests. They’re pretty and friendly,” says Christina Bristow, a Westwood Park resident.
Not to be confused with albinos, the Westwood Park squirrels have a condition known as leucism, or partial loss of all kinds of pigmentation. According to the National Park Service, leucism can be distinguished from albinism by an animal’s eyes.
Whereas the eyes of albinos are generally pinkish or red, leucistic animals’ eyes are not affected by the lack of pigment in the fur.
Neighbors estimate there to be close to seven squirrels, but they are unable to agree on when the population first arrived. Some say the creatures appeared at least 20 years ago, while some claim they’ve been around for longer, and some say they’re recent additions.
But one thing is for sure: As long as the squirrels are around, they’ll get fed.
“We just buy this corn, and they attack it,” neighbor Viola Hughes says.
While one might think the squirrels’ bright color might prove a liability for survival in the wild, the squirrels seem to do alright for themselves. Bristow recalls one memorable moment that helped give Sassy her name.
“There was a juvenile Red Hawk on my fence, and she chased it off,” Bristow says.
The squirrels have become an integral part of the neighborhood’s identity, which is one of the few in the area without an existing designation. To celebrate their furry mascots, neighbors came together to design and vote on street sign-toppers that feature a white squirrel. A community garage sale was organized to raise funds for the signs.
“Everyone donated. Everyone helped. It was wonderful,” Bristow says.
The toppers have been approved by the city, and neighbors are currently waiting on an installation date. The project is not the end of the neighborhood’s passion for celebrating their snowy rodents, however; plans are in place to paint a white squirrel-inspired mural on a boundary wall at the end of the cul-de-sac.
Lowe’s has agreed to donate supplies, and neighbors have floated the idea of a mural depicting the squirrels in all four seasons.
“We have permission from the department to paint a mural. It’s a 280-foot wall. It’s long and 15-feet tall so it’s a lot of squares,” Bristow said.
According to residents, the squirrels are also a hit with neighborhood visitors.
“It’s fun for all of my friends and family that visit. They’ve coined my house the White Squirrel Inn,” Sidney Miller says.
The neighborhood sees a lot of through traffic, and residents say they often see people stopping and leaving their cars to look at the unpigmented phenomena.
“There was a work truck that came through the other day with construction workers going to a job. They all pulled over and were taking pictures,” Bristow says.
While the traffic stemming from interest shows the growing popularity of the squirrels, it can also be quite dangerous, as cars seem to be their biggest predators. Two recent deaths have put the squirrels’ importance to the community in perspective, only invigorating the sense of appreciation among neighbors.
“I guess in the last maybe four months, two have died and gotten run over so seeing them still is like ‘uh please don’t ever leave us,’” Miller says.
