Rare albino creature startles jogger in Ohio park. See the ‘treasured surprise’

A woman spotted a rare creature while out for a jog in Ohio, according to her post on social media and local news reports.

Tammy Stevens, a resident of Olmstead Falls, was running in the Cleveland Metroparks, a group of nature reserves in greater Cleveland, on May 14 when she crossed paths with an albino raccoon, according to WJW.

“What a treasured surprise,” Stevens wrote in a Facebook post that included photos of the animal in a tree. “I feel like I just confirmed that unicorns do exist!”

Albinism is a genetic condition that inhibits the production of melanin, according to WKYC, citing the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Only about one in every 10,000 to 20,000 raccoons has albinism.

Other albino raccoons have been observed throughout the country in recent years.

One was brought to an animal sanctuary after getting caught in a trap in Texas in 2022, according to CBS19. And a pair of albino raccoons were spotted in a woman’s backyard in Tennessee in 2021, according to WBIR.

Albinism has also been documented in hundreds of other animal species, including birds, whales and snails, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

This story was originally published May 17, 2023 at 5:58 PM with the headline "Rare albino creature startles jogger in Ohio park. See the ‘treasured surprise’."