A lucky escape!

…to see this- watch it right to the end! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZXZfnzXA4E This footage was caught just after 6am in early May. It clearly shows a tawny owl swoop in and land on the tree just above where the squirrel was. Amazing! Now what we don’t know is what the tawny owl was up to. It may well have been sizing up… […]

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News: The Great Scottish Squirrel Survey returns in an important year for squirrel sightings

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is calling on the public to take part in the nationwide Great Scottish Squirrel Survey between 20-26 September (National Red Squirrel Week). Now in its third year, the survey is needed more than ever due to the impact of Covid-19. Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, which… […]

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Saving Red Squirrels in the Glenkens

nature books. How things change? When I moved to Dumfries and Galloway in the early 70s grey squirrels were a rarity, still confined to the south and a few pockets within the Central Belt and red squirrels were frequently seen in many parts of the region. Fast forward forty years and the picture changed. More greys were being reported, fewer… […]

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News: Almost 1000 squirrel sightings reported in one week during national survey

  Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has published the results of this year’s Great Scottish Squirrel Survey, when over 600 people reported 828 sightings in just one week. The results will enhance conservationists’ understanding of squirrel populations across Scotland. The campaign, which ran from 23 – 29 September, encouraged the Scottish public to spend some time exploring the outdoors while keeping… […]

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An Introduction to Squirrels in Scotland

…There are now approximately 160,000 native red squirrels in Britain, of which over 75% live in Scotland Since the introduction of grey squirrels, they have become widespread across Britain due to their ability to adapt to new environments. They have also introduced the squirrel pox virus which, although catastrophic to red squirrels, appears to leave grey squirrels relatively unharmed due… […]

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Great Scottish Squirrel Survey 2021: the results

…the opportunity to get to know their local patch of nature. However, clearly many people have caught the squirrel-spotting bug as we have still received more than 13,000 sightings to our website so far this year. Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in our citizen science campaign, and to all the organisations, community groups and volunteers… […]

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How many red squirrels are there in Scotland?

…know how many red squirrels there are in Scotland? Not really. Counting the actual number of red squirrels is a near impossible task, and like most small animals their numbers will vary naturally from year to year depending on factors like food availability and weather. It’s been estimated that there could be around 120,000 red squirrels left in Scotland, 75%… […]

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Call to report red squirrel sightings in Dumfries & Galloway

…fallen drastically to just 120,000. This is largely due to the spread of the grey squirrel, which was first introduced to Britain from North America in the mid-19th Century. 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… […]

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New sightings signal red squirrels’ return to Aberdeen city parks and gardens

…if these beautiful animals were to settle in the institute grounds and become a regular sight.” While three quarters of the UK’s red squirrels are found in Scotland, their numbers have fallen drastically to just 120,000. This is largely due to the spread of the grey squirrel, which was first introduced to Britain from North America in the mid-19th Century…. […]

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This Year's Sightings