News: Get squirrel spotting during the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey next week!

the annual Great Scottish Squirrel Survey has become the most important event for getting a snapshot of the distributions of both red and grey squirrels for comparisons year to year. Programme Manager Nicole Still said: “The public play an essential role in our work and red squirrel conservation across Scotland. The sightings data collected gives us valuable insights on how… […]

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HRH The Prince of Wales gives special thanks to volunteers on Red Squirrel Appreciation Day

…Wales to all volunteers fighting for the survival of the red squirrel.   HRH The Prince of Wales is Patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, one of our project partners, who are working closely with volunteers and members of regional and local red squirrel groups across the UK. Today the Red Squirrel Survival Trust shared the kind words received… […]

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For nature, go native

…thanks to legal protections and reintroduction schemes they are gradually making a comeback across the country. Despite their appetite for squirrel, previous research has shown that the return of pine martens spells good news for our native reds, as their presence will reduce the number of grey squirrels in an area and enable the red population to recover. Unlike the […]

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New faces and farewells

…reserve during the most crucial part of their breeding season. Highlights included watching the resident female osprey lay 3 eggs, observing the hatching and development of the young chicks, and admiring the incredible methods by which both parent ospreys worked together to ensure the very best chances for their young. Other favourite wildlife moments consisted of incredible beaver and pine… […]

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Vital protections for red squirrels at risk

…Countryside Act 1981. The Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform (Mairi McAllan) gave this response: S6W-01445 Mairi McAllan : “The Scottish Government is committed to enhancing biodiversity and to protecting vulnerable species in Scotland. Following the conclusion of the seventh Quinquennial Review the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) will submit recommendations for potential changes to the animals and plants… […]

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

…dead red squirrel carcasses found to the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies for post-mortem analysis.” People can report their sightings of both red and grey squirrels at scottishsquirrels.org.uk. Details for how to post carcasses to the Vet School and how to effectively clean feeders can also be found on the site. Although Squirrelpox is not considered harmful to humans,… […]

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News: Public squirrel sightings soar in 2023

…safe haven for red squirrels and free from greys thanks to the hard work of staff, landowners, partner organisations and volunteers working along the geographical diagonal Highland Boundary Fault Line to stop grey incursion northwards. The results of the survey also reflect the significant success of efforts in Aberdeen over recent years, with only very small numbers reported from the […]

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Introducing the new Eastern Lowlands Red Squirrel Group

In February 2023 the Eastern Lowlands Red Squirrel Group (ELRSG) was established with funding through the Red Squirrel Survival Trust. It is an independent group from Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels as the project does not cover this area. The Eastern Lowlands includes the Kingdom of Fife, Clackmannanshire, part of Stirling and parts of Perth and Kinross.   East Lowland Red… […]

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Squirrel Sightings: an inside look

…year on year comparison of red and grey squirrel distribution throughout Scotland so we can measure the progress of the project.   How do you submit your sightings? It’s very easy – just head to our website and on the homepage you can see the sightings information with a button for reporting a squirrel sighting. You will be asked for […]

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Squirrel Sightings: an inside look

…confirmed straight away, but if there is a comment that it looked sick, we will contact the person who reported it for more details. We keep a careful eye out for indications of squirrelpox virus, as we would want to prevent as far as possible the spread of the disease to other red squirrels via feeders. Sometimes we get a… […]

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This Year's Sightings