Weeks after wildlife enthusiasts reported a possible sighting of a rare albino squirrel at Deadwater Valley Local Nature Reserve, there has still been no confirmed record of the animal.

Staff and volunteers at the Bordon reserve, managed by the Deadwater Valley Trust, say none of their rangers has seen the squirrel and no recent reports have been received.

Albino squirrels, which have white fur and pink or red eyes due to a lack of melanin, are exceptionally rare in the wild. The chances of one being born are estimated at around one in 100,000.

While white squirrels have been confirmed elsewhere in the UK in recent months, there has been no verified sighting within the reserve’s woodland trails or heathland habitats this season.

Julie Reid, of the Deadwater Valley Trust, said: “None of the rangers managed to see the albino squirrel at all and we haven’t heard anything recently so we fear the squirrel may have met an untimely end.”

Albino squirrels face significant survival challenges, as their lack of pigment makes them more visible to predators and more sensitive to sunlight, reducing their chances of surviving in the wild.