News: Record participation in national squirrel survey

  A record number of squirrel sightings were reported by the public during September’s Great Scottish Squirrel Survey. 2,100 people – three times the number who took part in the first national survey in 2019 – logged over 3,000 sightings of red and grey squirrels, creating a Scotland-wide snapshot and providing valuable data for conservationists.   The Great Scottish Squirrel… […]

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Knowledge Fair – celebrating five years of community action

  In December over 100 SSRS volunteers, landowners and other supporters joined us online to celebrate the end of the project’s ‘Developing Community Action‘ phase. The two-day Knowledge Fair featured presentations and panel discussions on all that the project has achieved over the past five years. It was also an opportunity to learn more about the red squirrel conservation work… […]

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Squirrel Sightings: an inside look

…a recent report of a grey squirrel seen near Loch Katrine was worrying and surprising, as it has been a stronghold for red squirrels for many years, and is some distance from the nearest grey squirrel population. Swift action ensured that the squirrel was captured, and since then local people have kept a sharp eye out to make sure there… […]

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News: First death of red squirrel from squirrelpox virus confirmed north of Scotland’s Central Belt

…further dead red squirrels in and around Dunfermline, these can be posted to us for examination using these detailed guidelines” The first known outbreak of squirrelpox in Scotland occurred in 2007 near Lockerbie and since then the disease has arisen in various red squirrel populations across south Scotland. However, this is the first time that a case has been confirmed… […]

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News: Suspected squirrelpox outbreak near Lockerbie threatens local red squirrel population

…of the public and SSRS staff which appear to display classic symptoms of the deadly disease. Very sadly at least 10 red squirrels have been found dead in the area due to suspected squirrelpox. Squirrelpox is a virus carried by grey squirrels which appears not to affect them, but when passed to red squirrels, the virus is often lethal. Symptoms… […]

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Leaping into the future

…achieved. In the Central Lowlands, we’ll continue to defend the Highland Line by reducing grey squirrel population densities to a level which minimises the spread of grey squirrels and squirrelpox into core red squirrel populations to the north. We’ll focus on vulnerable “corridors” such as the Mearns cross-border area of South Aberdeenshire and Angus.Other corridors like Strathtay and Tummel, Strathardle… […]

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This Year's Sightings