Enchanting albino chipmunk. JAPAN CUTE IMAGES of a rare albino squirrel known locally as the ‘Forest fairy’ appearing to fly through the air have been captured. Images show the pure white creature with red eyes looking as though it is levitating with all four of its feet up off the ground. Other shots show the squirrel scrambling across the woodland floor with a pinecone in its mouth and then stopping to have a quick snack. It can also be seen looking alert balancing on a tree branch. Albino squirrels are extremely rare, with a 1 in 100,000 chance of having the condition. They are easily identified by their pure white coat and red eyes, as seen in the images. The reason for this rarity is that the albino gene is recessive and their white coat makes them stand out to predators as an easy-to-spot snack. More albino squirrels live in urban areas because there are fewer predators to attack them. These images of the albino Eurasian red squirrel were snapped in Hokkaido, Japan, by wildlife photographer Takahashi Hiroki. “I waited for about three hours for this squirrel because I had heard from locals around the area that such a rare creature, which they called the “forest fairy”, was seen here,” he told mediadrumworld.com. “Its existence is so rare and it looks so cute, watching it run about was an enchanting and soothing experience. “White squirrels stand out in the forest, so they are very easy targets for predators. “They are very cautious, so I kept my distance while shooting. “But when I went down in a prone position to take a few pictures the squirrel came close to me and showed off the nuts he was eating and shared one with me. “I was speechless and did not move until the squirrel left on its own.” ENDS.