POLAND – You have a better chance of being struck by lightning than spotting an albino raccoon in your lifetime.
The odds of seeing one is roughly one in 750,000. A Poland resident, however, told 21 News they have a bright, white visitor who regularly stops by their yard.
They’ve affectionately nicknamed the albino raccoon, Ghost.
Their three regulars also include a black raccoon and a lighter colored brown and white raccoon: Nero and Brownie.
The resident told 21 News the three are often captured on their home’s video cameras and shared a look at their evening wanderings:
Only about one in every 10,000 to 20,000 raccoons are born with an albino mutation, wildlife experts say. Albino raccoons are also a rare sighting because they stick out so starkly against their surroundings that predators can easily spot them.
What causes albinism in animals?
Melanin is a pigment in humans and animals that determines their hair, eye, and skin color.
An animal born with a genetic mutation that prevents the production of melanin, resulting in white or pale skin, fur, hair, and pink or red eyes due to the visibility of blood vessels.
Other albino animals, like deer, have been spotted in Mill Creek Metroparks for more than a decade.
In August of 2025, another albino raccoon was spotted in Smith Township, located in the southwest corner of Mahoning County.
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