5. There are Mutant Squirrels in City Hall Park

Squirrels are a fixture in New York City, but we’re accustomed to see ones with grey fur. This is not so much the case in City Hall Park. Some of the fluffy rodents here have jet black fur, which is sometimes tinted red. The color is due to a recessive gene, which doesn’t usually appear in large populations. Because City Hall Park is surrounded by urban land (essentially creating an “island effect”), the trait appears in higher frequency. We’ve also spotted these squirrels on Roosevelt Island.