Pa. couple: We captured purple squirrel, freed it

JERSEY SHORE — A central Pennsylvania couple say they've captured a purple squirrel in their backyard.

Jersey Shore resident Percy Emert says he and his wife, Connie, caught the purple squirrel Sunday in a trap with peanuts. He says even the insides of its ears were purple.

Photos of the purple squirrel ended up online.

The couple say they released the squirrel Tuesday. They say a state game warden later took samples of purple fur left in its cage and trimmed from its tail.

A Pittsburgh Zoo curator who saw a photo of the squirrel on his cellphone says he thinks it looks like a gray squirrel tinged in purple. He joked Thursday it may have fallen into a portable toilet that had blue coloration.

Accuweather.com first reported the discovery.