An incredibly rare albino squirrel has been captured by an amateur wildlife photographer on the banks of a Lincolnshire canal.

Stephen Plant was hoping to snap kingfishers by the Louth Navigation waterway when he saw the rare rodent.

“But when I saw this little fella sat in a tree, I couldn’t believe it,” the 60-year-old told The Independent. “He was going pretty slowly and I thought it was a rat at first but then I saw his bushy tail. I was astonished.”

Only about 50 such creatures are thought to live in the UK, reports suggest.

Their unusual colour is caused by an absence of melanin, which gives skin, hair and eyes its pigmentation. They are not to be confused with the more common leucistic squirrels, which, although white in large parts, have normal coloured dark eyes.

Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Show all 19 1 /19 Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Alligator From Alligator Bay zoo in Beauvoir, France AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Gorilla Photo dated 14 September 2003 shows 40-year-old Copo de Nieve (Snowflake), the only albino gorilla in the Barcelona zoo, Spain. Zoo specialists said that the gorilla was suffering from leather cancer and that his life expectancy is of about three months. AFP PHOTO/CESAR RANGEL (Photo credit should read CESAR RANGEL/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Wallaby Albino wallaby in a zoo in mother's pouch Bergamo, Italy AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Panda Spotted in China's Wolong National Nature Reserve on 26 May 2019 AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Python From Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, Bristol Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Albino squirrel in Louth Stephen Plant Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Tiger An albino tiger remains in its cage in the house where 15 members of the Beltran Leyva brothers cartel were arrested in Alvaro Obregon district, Mexico City, on October 20, 2008. The detainees, 11 of which are Colombian, were presented to the press on October 19, 2008. AFP PHOTO/Ronaldo Schemidt (Photo credit should read Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Porcupine Albino porcupine from the Kamla Nehru zoo in Ahmedabad, India AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Albino squirrel in Louth Stephen Plant Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Albino squirrel in Louth Stephen Plant Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Hedgehog An albino hedgehog from a zoo in Sochi, Russia AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Peacock Not technically an albino, the white peacock in the Nehru Zoo in Hyderabad, India AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Gorilla MADRID, SPAIN: (FILES) -- File portrait taken 26 May 1997 shows Copito de Nieve (Snow Flake) the only albino gorilla held in captivity at Barcelona zoo. Spanish animal lovers are facing up to an emotional farewell to Copito de Nieve fighting a losing battle with skin cancer at Barcelona zoo. Copito has been at the zoo since 1966 and is believed to be aged between 38 and 40. Catalan primatologist Sabater Pi found the gorilla in 1966 in the forest of Nko, in Guinea. AFP PHOTO DOMINIQUE FAGET/FILES (Photo credit should read DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Squirrel Albino squirrel in Louth Stephen Plant Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Wallaby Albino wallaby in a zoo in mother's pouch Bergamo, Italy AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Peacock Not technically an albino, the white peacock in the Nehru Zoo in Hyderabad, India AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Zebra Albino zebra in Nairobi's national park AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Tortoise A baby Hermann's Tortoise from the Turtle Valley animal park in Sorede, France AFP/Getty Albino animals: squirrels, gorillas, hedgehogs and more Alligator A baby albino alligator in the Sao Paulo aquarium, Brazil AFP/Getty

Mr Plant, of Louth, added: “I was stood about 30 metres away and he wasn’t bothered by me at all. He moved along quite slowly and then at one point froze altogether for a few seconds which allowed me to rattle off some shots.

“Then he then dropped down and started nibbling at a crab apple – although I don’t think it was to his taste. It was a joy to see.”

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