Lancaster County Park Rangers

Ever wonder what kind of wildlife you'll run into in your local parks? Well today was a sleepy box turtle taking their mid-morning nap! 🐢 Fun fact, box turtles are one of the few turtles that can completely enclose themselves inside their shell (hence the name). They have a hinge on the underside of their shell, known as the plastron, that they can close to seal themselves inside!

It’s that time of year!

If you find a fawn, the best action in almost all cases is to leave it alone. Mother deer intentionally hide their babies for hours while they forage to avoid drawing predators. It is completely normal for a fawn to be sitting perfectly still, and the mother is likely nearby.

If you see a fawn in danger or distress you should call a licensed wildlife rehabilitation expert for guidance or the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

This is a first!

Ranger Bieber spotted this albino squirrel while on patrol this morning. Fortunately he managed to take a few pictures. (Otherwise we wouldn’t have believed him) 🤫

It is estimated that only 1 in 100,000 squirrels are born albino. The odds of surviving to adulthood is less than 1%.

A short video of the squirrel is in the comments.

Today we honor National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the sacrifices made by America’s Law Enforcement Officers.

Peace Officers Memorial Day, observed annually on May 15, was established in 1962 by Congress and President John F. Kennedy to honor federal, state, and local law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.

Lowering the flag today is a somber reminder that more than 24,000 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty throughout U.S. history since 1786.

Congratulations on your retirement Sheriff Leppler! Thank you for your service to our county.

Sheriff Leppler Retirement

Last night Park Rangers, Dispatchers and Police were recognized for their involvement in an incident involving an armed and suicidal subject.

We would like to thank the West Hempfield Township Police Department and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners, Josh Parsons, Alice Yoder, and Ray D'Agostino for recognizing their efforts.

Ranger Fliegel, Ranger Kelso and Chief Arnold were honored to stand beside our colleagues to accept this recognition. We would also like to thank our public safety partners who could not attend for helping us keep the parks safe.

911 Communications Division Lancaster County Department of Public Safety Lancaster County, PA Government Columbia Borough Police Susquehanna Regional Police Department

We'd like to extend a few HUGE thank you's for the success of our 2026 Youth Trout Derby!!! First to everyone that was able to make it, thankfully the rainy weather held out, and we had a beautiful morning! Second, to Southern Lancaster County Farmer Sportsmen's Association who donated 200 trout to our event. Without you guys this would not have been possible and we are very appreciative.

See you today for the trout derby 🎣
9AM-12PM
Ages 5-15
823 Kiwanis Drive
Lancaster PA 17602
Call 717-278-6276 for questions

Reminder that this SATURDAY is our annual Youth Trout Derby!! Registration is encouraged but not required. We hope to see everyone there!
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