News &
Events
For details of the latest news, issues and events that are essential to red squirrels and their conservation, both in the UK and the rest of Europe, see the list below. Additionally if you have information that you would like to post on this website, that you feel is of interest to the UKRSG and its participants please contact us.
Squirrelpox Virus
Squirrelpox virus is deadly to red squirrels. Evidence suggests that it originated from grey squirrels transported from North America and, whilst they appear to carry a natural immunity to it, red squirrels do not. Animals infected with the virus seem to suffer a marked decline in their health and die within around two weeks of contracting it (see Advice Note: themes. At present, the spread of squirrelpox virus presents the greatest threat to retaining red squirrels across their current range.
Whilst previously recorded in the north of England, the Scottish red squirrel population appeared to be squirrelpox-free until May 2005. Unfortunately the first grey squirrel showing evidence that it had been exposed to the virus (a ‘seropositive’ animal) was then found in the Borders. Scottish Natural Heritage, in partnership with the Southern Upland Partnership, Red Squirrels in South Scotland Project and Red Alert South West Scotland, has since supported grey squirrel control around the areas and tracked the spread of the disease. The following maps show the spread of records over this period:
Work continues, through the partnership, to track the disease and remove grey squirrels in areas likely to transmit this to red squirrels. The Scottish Government is also funding a three-year project with the Moredun Research Institute to investigate the route of transmission of the virus by grey squirrels. It is hoped that this work will help to inform whether it will be possible to prevent further spread of this disease, although this information is not anticipated to be available until at least 2010.
"Save our Squirrels" Success
The "Save Our Squirrels" project has been awarded £626,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of a £1.1 Million initiative to be managed and co-ordinated by Northumberland Wildlife Trust on behalf of the Red Alert North England (RANEng) partnership
With funding now in place, a team of 6 full time and 1 part time Red Squirrel Officers will be deployed from the Mersey to the Tyne and beyond to implement this project that will deliver the nationally important red squirrel conservation strategy launched last November.
Welcoming the announcement, on behalf of the RANEng Steering Group, Northumberland Wildlife Trust's Chief Executive, Mike Pratt commented:
"This is great news for all concerned with the conservation of this iconic animal from England's woodlands - the real 'Squirrel Nutkin'! We will work with our partner Wildlife Trusts in Lancashire, North Merseyside, Cumbria & Yorkshire, with landowners and the public to implement conservation measures in the 16 designated Red Squirrel Reserves and surrounding buffer zones."
Press release 05/04/2006 (PDF 44kb)
Identifying Priority woodlands for red squirrels
The red squirrel population is continuing to dwindle as their main threats persist, these are
- expansion of grey squirrels,
- habitat change and
- habitat loss.
The government targets, as detailed in the red squirrel Species Action Plan, are to maintain and enhance squirrel populations through good management and where appropriate re-establish populations. To meet these targets the UKRSG has recognised that prime areas of red squirrel habitat, or strongholds, should be identified in each country as 'Priority Woodlands' for active management and grey squirrel control. As the situation in each country varies the criteria drawn up by the UKRSG allows a level of autonomy so the different situations in each country can be taken into account. To see the progress made in each country see the Country Fora Pages.
Selection of priority woodlands paper, (PDF 538kb)
Kielder Forest; squirrels reprieve
Kielder forest, 250 square miles of man-made conifer forest and plantation, is one of the few remaining refuges of red squirrels in England, supporting a large proportion of the English squirrel population (approximately 75%). However, the red squirrels of Kielder forest have been granted a reprieve and plans to plant large seeded broadleaved trees, to increase the biodiversity interest of the large conifer plantation, have been dropped in order to help preserve the native red squirrel.
Studies have shown that the planting of large seeded broad leaved trees such as oak and beech attract non-native grey squirrel into the forests. Grey squirrel have a competitive advantage being able to digest less ripe tree seeds effectively removing the red squirrels' food source. The planting of large seeded broadleaved trees may have attracted the grey squirrels into Kielder, which may have had greater implications for red squirrel survival as greys are also thought to carry squirrel poxvirus, which is lethal to red squirrels.
Research has showed that planting trees such as willow and birch in the forest would provide some broadleaf diversification to the forest whilst not being so attractive to greys.
For more information, this story was reported on by the BBC.
Grey squirrel spread in Europe
Grey squirrels are beginning to spread through the forests of Northern Italy and, as in the UK, it appears to be at the expense of the native red squirrel. It is thought that grey squirrels will soon be established in the vast continuous swathes of forest across the Alps giving them a foothold into other European countries. If this happens it is likely that in the future the rest of Europe may be facing a similar ordeal to the UK of having to protect pockets of red squirrel refugia.
The maps shows the current known range of the grey squirrel in Europe. © Societas Europaea Mammalogica 2004. (Compare to the red squirrel distribution)
Grey squirrels were first introduced into Italy when two pairs escaped from an ambassador's garden in Turin in 1948. The spread was slow until 1970. Between 1970 and 1990 the red squirrel's range in this area was reduced by 50%, with a further 55% from 1990-1996. Efforts to trap and destroy grey squirrels before they spread into the continuous woodlands in the foothills of the Alps were held up due to issues with animal welfare groups.
The grey squirrels' range now expands into the wooded hills of the Alps and Piedmont, where it is no longer considered feasible to eradicate from Italy. There is now a risk of expansion of the grey squirrel into the rest of Europe. Further details can be found on the SquirrelWeb.
Greys in South Africa
Since the release of a few grey squirrels near Cape Town in the early 1900's, and other releases some 190 km away in 1957 and 1968 they have spread and now inhabit urban, agricultural or afforested areas within an area of 7000 km2 of the Cape Peninsula and areas of the Western Cape. However the grey squirrels are not considered invasive here, possibly due to the native predators controlling their numbers (IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group).