North Carolina is home to some famously bizarre secrets. We may never know where all of the pirate gold is hidden, for instance. But when it comes to the little white squirrels that adorn the tops of the traffic light structures in the city of Brevard, we thankfully don’t have to wonder what they’re all about. Read on to discover the positively magical secret about Brevard’s white squirrels.
If you've ever been to Brevard and somehow didn't notice the white squirrels on the traffic lights...
Below, we've zoomed into the above photo to show you exactly what we're referring to. It turns out, Brevard, along with four other cities in North America, is home to a bizarre squirrel sector that has a mutated gene.
Many of the Brevard squirrels have a little dark patch on their foreheads, but some don't. Researchers believe the white squirrels in Brevard were brought up from Florida residents in the 1900s.
The world's foremost white squirrel research efforts are headquartered in Brevard at the White Squirrel Research Institute. The scientists there work to keep up with the world's white squirrel population. Want to become a spotter for the institute? You can! Click here.
To further the popularity of the tiny little white residents in town, each May, the folks in Brevard gather for three days to celebrate the cute, coveted creature at the annual White Squirrel Festival. The festival features music, parades, vendors and some wacky squirrel-related events.
The next time you’re in Brevard, take notice of the cute little white squirrels… you’ll find the fake ones on top of the traffic lights – and the real ones on the ground and in the trees!
What other secrets are hiding in North Carolina? Continue the discussion below.
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