Celebrating white squirrels in Brevard. Photo by Seyl Park
Transylvania County may be known as the Land of Waterfalls, but it’s also the land of white squirrels. That’s thanks to a traveling circus.
As the story goes, a carnival rolled into Madison, FL, in 1949. A pair of ivory rodents were part of the main act, but escaped their cages and smartly found their way to a nearby pecan orchard. The orchard owner hired H.H. Mull to capture the roving duo, and he brought them to his young niece, Barbara Mull, in Brevard.
According to an article published in a 2005 edition of The Transylvania Times, Mull’s father allowed her to keep them in an enclosure in the backyard of their home on the corner of Caldwell and King streets. But during a daily feeding, the critters made a break for it.
“I never dreamed that they would survive,” Mull shares in the article.
But as the decades passed, white squirrels began appearing around town. The original pair had apparently bred, giving rise to what Mull refers to as the “great-grand squirrels.”
In 1986, as the population of white squirrels continued to grow, Brevard City Council passed an ordinance declaring it illegal to hunt, trap or harm the creatures within city limits.
Eleven years later, Robert Glesner, an associate professor of biology at Brevard College, founded the White Squirrel Institute with the help of his students. The institute has since conducted valuable research into the white squirrels’ behavior, reproduction and genetics.
Although many people assume the white squirrels in Brevard are albino, they are an eastern gray squirrel with a recessive genetic mutation. Unlike albino squirrels, they typically have dark eyes and sometimes streaks of gray in their fur.
White Squirrel Festival. Photo by Seyl Park
And while their striking coat may make them stand out to us, they aren’t any more noticeable to predators. According to Katy Rosenberg, executive director of the White Squirrel Institute, their white coat may actually help them blend into certain environments.
Still, tourists come from near and far to catch a glimpse. “The number one question asked in our visitor center is, ‘Where can we see white squirrels?’” says Rosenberg.
The town has embraced these unique creatures so much that they have become the focal point of a beloved event: White Squirrel Weekend. Held every May in downtown Brevard, White Squirrel Weekend is a lively, family-friendly celebration that brings together locals and visitors alike.
“The white squirrel is the unofficial mascot of both Brevard and White Squirrel Weekend,” says J. Nicole Bentley, executive director of Heart of Brevard. “These rare and cherished creatures are a symbol of the town’s charm and character, inspiring a weekend-long celebration of music, arts and community in downtown Brevard.”
White Squirrel Weekend happens Friday, May 23, through Sunday, May 25, in downtown Brevard. For a full schedule of events, see BrevardNC.org or follow Heart of Brevard on social media @heartofbrevard.
