Purple squirrel (animal)

Purple squirrels are squirrels with a purple coloration. The cause of this rare coloration has not been determined.

Sightings

A purple squirrel was spotted in Minnesota in 1997,^[1] but no theories on its unique coloring were presented.

An account of a purple squirrel (later named Pete) was recorded at the Meoncross School in Stubbington, Hampshire in the U.K.^[2] The squirrel is reported to have been originally blue, its coat eventually shifting to purple. One theory posited was that since the squirrel had a tendency to prowl a building with old photo copiers, the squirrel simply got into the old toner cartridges. However, most who saw the squirrel firsthand discount this theory.^[2]

In 2012, a purple squirrel was sighted and captured in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania. A news reporter from AccuWeather.com first reported the story on Tuesday, February 7, 2012. The squirrel quickly became an Internet sensation, establishing its own social media accounts. The squirrel, which was caught on February 5, 2012, was released back into the wild on February 7. There are several theories as to what caused the squirrel's strange coloring, including local hydraulic fracking and chewing on pens.^[1]
On March 31, 2012, Dale Limburg, a local hunter from Green, Ohio, captured a purple squirrel while on a deer hunt in Pennsylvania.^[3] The squirrel was later released back into the wild. Photographs of the squirrel led to more theories as to the reason for the coloration.^[4]

On May 4, 2016, in Minneapolis, Minnesota a resident snapped a photo of a purple squirrel as it left a bird feeder.^[5] One theory suggested the animal had been dyed purple by fans of musical performer Prince, who had died two weeks prior.

In the 2014 animated film The Nut Job (which is based on the short Surley Squirrel), the main protagonist Surly (voiced by Will Arnett) is a purple squirrel.
Ricky (portrayed by Robb Wells) in Trailer Park Boys hallucinated and shot at imaginary purple squirrels in the episode "Conky" (Season 4 Episode 5)
In 2016 in the traveling art exhibition "Hearsay" about urban legends.^[6]