A scurry of white squirrels lives in the Beverly area; one even shows up on Google Street View - Chicago Tribune
Nestled in the far southwest corner of Chicago are some new celebrities — rare white squirrels. They have popped up in the "scurry," the apt name for a group of squirrels, of eastern gray squirrels that call home Chicago's Beverly Park area around 103rd Street and Maplewood Avenue.
Eleanore Sasewich, formerly of Beverly but now living in Evergreen Park, is one of the people who has captured the white squirrels in photographs.
"I frequent Beverly Park with my 8-year-old son. I see them in yards surrounding the park and I have seen them go in and out of nests in the trees in the park," Sasewich said.
Now a white squirrel even appears on Google Street View in front of a house in the 9900 block of Maplewood, which was a surprise for the homeowners, Amanda and Jonathan Wulff.
"In September, to show a friend a picture of my house, I pulled up the street image from Google Maps, and there was a new picture with a white squirrel in front of the house. I said are you kidding me? What are the chances that the Google camera happened to come along the street at the exact time a white squirrel was on my front lawn?" said Amanda Wulff, noting the white squirrels come and go — they may see several in one day and then not see any for more than a week.
Wulff said she had never seen white squirrels before, and when she first shared her photo of one in December 2018, most viewers said they had never seen one before, either. But soon the Wulffs saw youngsters and another with a gray stripe on its back. One day leaving for work, Amanda saw a white squirrel in a tree in their backyard, and when she returned, that squirrel or another like it was foraging in their bird feeder.
Mikki Carping, who lives a mile south of Beverly Park in Mount Greenwood, has photographed the white squirrels in her backyard, meaning they have spread out at least that far.
Squirrel expert Joel Brown, professor emeritus of ecology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, advises enjoying the white squirrels while they are around.
"White squirrels are a 'morphism' or genetic variation that occurs naturally in eastern gray squirrels," he said. "The white morph pops up occasionally in local populations, runs its course, then disappears again."
According to Brown, nature doesn't favor the white morph. For one thing, their lack of camouflage makes them more vulnerable to predators. The only way to sustain a population is to give it preferential treatment, which usually means culling the gray squirrels — something very unlikely to happen in Beverly.
No matter the color, gray or white, October is a good time to observe these rodents because it's Squirrel Awareness Month.
There are two kinds of tree squirrels in the Chicago area, according to Brown: fox squirrels and eastern gray squirrels, which despite the name are also native to the Midwest. The dominant gray squirrels establish their territory in areas with fewer predators, such as the deeper woods of the forest preserves or the urban areas less accessible to coyotes, foxes and birds of prey, leaving many suburban areas to the fox squirrels.
To Brown, squirrels are important because they show us real nature.
"Squirrels are a gateway animal. They help people see and experience nature, not as a collection of paintings which is kind of the way you experience a zoo or arboretum, but as a dynamic system. When people want to learn about nature, they turn on National Geographic. Well, squirrels are like having a National Geographic special in your backyard. You can engage with them, you can observe the cycles of nature," said Brown.
Autumn is the time in the annual cycle when squirrels are busy "squirreling away," or burying, acorns, black walnuts, and other foodstuffs to sustain them through a cold and snowy Midwest winter.
Brown said the acorns that squirrels bury result in many of the oak trees native to the Chicago region. This means the people of Beverly can thank the ancestors of today's squirrels for much of the old-growth oak tree canopy for which the area is famous.
Many people, though, have a love-hate relationship with squirrels. Their antics are enjoyable to watch, but they can also be destructive pests.
However, their presence in a community is a healthy sign. Squirrel populations plummeted with the clearing of forests and overhunting, then about one hundred years ago, people began to plant trees and native gardens to reestablish green spaces, and the recovery of squirrels was encouraged.
"Squirrels are a reflection of us. We went from being their biggest predators to being their biggest benefactors by planting trees and reestablishing their habitat. The reappearance of squirrels was considered a success," said Brown.
As far as feeding them and encouraging them to get close, even sitting on a lap or shoulder, Brown cautioned that squirrels are wild animals that can be acclimated but not tamed and recommended engaging with them from a distance.
"Squirrels view us as vending machines. People feed them in the summer, then stop in the winter, and that is when they need food, so they may approach people then. If you see them stripping bark, they are starving because they cannot get to their food — perhaps there is too much snow covering the ground. This is a great time to put out food for them," said Brown, noting their food choices favor items high in vegetable oils and protein, like nuts and seeds, including sunflower seeds and cashews.
Tree squirrels have a "cuteness factor," said Brown. Their feet are adapted for scampering up and down trees, and they are conspicuous and active during the day. People don't have to worry about being surprised by squirrels at night like they do with their rodent cousins, rats. In fact, a healthy squirrel population means less chance rats are around, as they compete for resources. Squirrels don't spread diseases like rabies and plague to humans. Most people would rather have squirrels around than rats.
In addition, squirrels are as interested in people as people are in them.
"Squirrels have an amazing sense of their environment, they are very 'street smart.' They know who gives them peanuts, they know where a fierce dog lives, they can remember where they buried hundreds of acorns. They are persistent, they are wizards of trial and error. They are observant and learn from watching each other," Brown said.
According to legends, squirrels symbolize productivity and preparing for the future, and the rarity of white squirrels makes them an omen of good luck and peace, and often a sign that change is coming. What this translates into for the Beverly community remains to be seen.
Whether they are an omen or just delightful to watch, the sentiment of the Beverly community for these creatures is expressed by Sasewich and Wulff, who both declared, "I love the white squirrels."
These celebrities definitely have their "cuteness factor" working for them.
Carol Flynn is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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