Red Squirrels Appreciation Day
To help mark Red Squirrel Appreciation Day, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is inviting people to visit one of its woodlands and take a red squirrel wander to see if any red squirrels can be spied in the trees.
Lots of Scottish woodlands house some red squirrels but the pine forests and broadleaf woodlands of the Highlands, Central Lowlands and Dumfries and Galloway offer some of the best chances.
Glen Righ, Garbh Eilean wildlife hide on the shore of Loch Sunart and Glenmore Forest Park are also top spots and there are squirrel-watching hides at The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre near Aberfoyle and at Kirroughtree Visitor Centre near Newton Stewart.
But as well as enjoying a good and fun day out, FLS is also inviting people to report grey squirrel sightings from all over Scotland to help protect red squirrels from a deadly disease.
Colin Edwards, Head of Environment with FLS said;
“Everyone loves red squirrels and would want to save them from the horrible effects of the squirrel pox, a disease that is carried by grey squirrels without affecting them but that is lethal for red squirrels.
“Lots of people find grey squirrels’ antics entertaining and attractive, too, but I’m sure they would agree that with no cure or treatment for the disease looking feasible, something has to be done to prevent the suffering of reds, who are also displaced by grey squirrels due to their ability to outcompete reds for vital food resources and habitat.
“The only way to do this is to control grey squirrel populations to help reduce the spread of the disease. Because the disease is slowly travelling northwards into further red squirrel territory, difficult decisions have to be made if red squirrels are to enjoy a long-term future.”
All the research of the past 15 years has shown that there is no immunity to the disease in the general red squirrel population and that there is no likelihood of developing a deliverable vaccine.
Therefore in order to protect one species, control measures have to be put in place to restrict the spread or limit the population of the other.
Mr Edwards added;
“The best way that people can help is to join a local red squirrel group, or report grey squirrel sightings across Scotland to the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) web page.”
FLS is a participating member of partnership project SSRS, funded by partners and the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, which promotes and coordinates strategic control measures in south Scotland, the Central Lowlands, and in Aberdeenshire. This is best achieved through live trapping and humane dispatch.
FLS also creates ‘woodland oases’ that bridge gaps between known red squirrel hot-spots to help them increase their range across the whole of the north of Scotland.
Notes to editors
- Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land.
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