Coronavirus update for SSRS volunteers

…prevention of squirrelpox spread, usually in tablet form. It is not suitable for use indoors, and is not safe for humans. It is classified as an irritant and should always be handled following the correct safety precautions, and only used for its intended purpose. Please familiarise yourself with the Virkon-S health and safety guidelines and risk assessment (provided in your… […]

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Spotting squirrelpox: new sightings across Dumfries and Galloway

…is advised not to approach it, but instead contact the project for advice as soon as possible . Dead reds can be sent for post-mortem but ne ed to be handled carefully – please read the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels post-morten guide for more information at https://scottishsquirrels.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Red-squirrel-post-morte ms.pdf . To find out more about the squirrelpox virus, please visit the… […]

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Beechmast and acorns everywhere

…ability to cache food for lean periods which means that even if there is a cold snap towards spring, the supplies put by this autumn will be enough to cover shortfalls during the breeding season. Conversely, of course, a mast year is ominously good news for the health and reproduction of greys, and will be a boost to their populations… […]

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Suspected Squirrelpox outbreak near Dumfries threatens local red squirrel population

…sick red squirrel is advised not to approach it, but instead contact the project for advice. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and made possible thanks to National Lottery players and the Dumfries & Galloway LEADER 2014 – 2020 programme. For further information please contact Gill Hatcher, ghatcher@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk, 0131 3124717, 07388 994610…. […]

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News: Squirrelpox threatens red squirrels across Dumfries & Galloway’s Solway coast

…Conservation Officer for Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels said: “With support of local volunteers from the Solway Forests Red Squirrel Network, we have deployed emergency squirrelpox outbreak response measures. Grey squirrels are being removed from the area through live trapping and humane dispatch. We know that when grey squirrel numbers are kept low, red squirrel populations can recover following the devastation… […]

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News: Call to report squirrel sightings in Stirling

…red squirrel’s future in Scotland. Larger and more robust, they not only compete more successfully than the reds for food and resources, they may also carry squirrelpox virus, which causes a disease that is fatal to red squirrels. Stirlingshire is fortunate to have areas of pristine red squirrel populations that have never seen grey squirrels. These areas are predominantly found… […]

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Get the big picture – summer survey results 2013

…they were slow to visit the feeder boxes, seeming to prefer to keep exposure to the wet and cold to a minimum. As a result, some monitoring sites only registered the presence of squirrels in the last fortnight of the six-week surveys. Even so, for surveys in project areas north of the Central Belt, initial results suggest red squirrels are… […]

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News: Perthshire residents on red alert after grey squirrel sightings in Aberfeldy

…today is the presence of the invasive non-native grey squirrel, which were first introduced in the late 1800s and soon replaced red squirrels throughout most of the UK. Larger and more robust, grey squirrels outcompete reds for resources such as food and living space, making it difficult for red squirrels to successfully breed and for their young to survive. Saving… […]

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New PARC boundaries ensure conservation efforts stay one step ahead

…alongside large upland conifer forests where red squirrels have a natural advantage over grey squirrels. These include Galloway Forest Park, Ae Forest, Eskdalemuir, Craik, Wauchope and the Tweed Valley forests. The PARCs generally occupy lower-lying areas with greater accessibility to local people, and with concentrations of habitat that are favoured by grey squirrels (in which red squirrels are often excluded… […]

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News: Appeal to Kincardineshire residents to help protect Aberdeenshire’s red squirrel

…people to help support one of Scotland’s most loved, and most threatened, species. Each sighting enables Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels to target efforts to protect local red squirrel squirrels as well as those still thriving across Scotland’s northern regions. Emma Sheehy added: “With your help, we can make sure Scotland’s core red squirrel populations are protected for generations to come.”… […]

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This Year's Sightings