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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Whats the deal with… white and black squirrels?

These unusual-looking animals seem like they might belong in some type of forest creature circus than scurrying around campus.

Black squirrels are all over D.C., and the occasional white squirrel sighting is known to happen too. D.C. is, after all, widely cited as one of the cities with the largest squirrel population in the country.

A survey of the squirrel population in the 1980s determined that Lafayette Park across from the White House had the densest squirrel population in the United States.

A Washington Post story about the District’s black squirrels, published in May, said 18 Canadian squirrels were released at the National Zoo during the early 1900s, jump-starting a booming black squirrel population.

But, D.C. residents should be careful where they tout squirrel pride. There are several cities that claim to be the original “homes” of the black or white squirrel. One of these cities is Brevard, N.C., which is home to the White Squirrel Research Institute at Brevard College and an annual White Squirrel Festival. The institute conducts white squirrel counts, where volunteers cover a 20-square-mile area to track the squirrel population, said Angelita Col?n-Francia, assistant director of public relations at Brevard College and a GW alumna.

The institute also puts together a map tracking other white squirrel colonies in the country. D.C. is not on the map, which could mean that Washington’s white squirrels are albino or don’t qualify as a colony. You can tell an albino squirrel from a white squirrel, which are actually gray squirrel variants, by the color of its eyes. Albino squirrels have red eyes and white squirrels have dark eyes.

There are five cities, including one in Canada, that say black squirrels are their claim to fame, according to Roadside America, a Web site that tracks unique tourist attractions. The site lists some white and black squirrel legends of origin. While D.C. credits a Canadian import, some cities say their critters came from a gypsy caravan or traveling circus.

-Caitlin Carroll

“What’s the deal with..” is a weekly feature in the Life section. If you have a suggestion for the column, e-mail [email protected].

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