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

…vulnerable time for red squirrels, as they prepare for the upcoming mating season and increase contact with one another. We have deployed our emergency squirrelpox outbreak response measures, and as such locals can expect to see an increased staff and volunteer presence in the area as we increase grey control efforts in the region in a bid to stem the… […]

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Community action in Galloway

in Northumberland!). I also saw the Glenkens Red Squirrel Group come into existence in 2014 and was persuaded to start up a group in Gatehouse in early 2015. Although we only get odd sightings of greys here, individuals testing positive for squirrelpox have previously been recovered from surrounding Newton Stewart, Dalbeattie and New Galloway, so the need for grey control… […]

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Studying the life of the urban red squirrel

…nature in our towns and cities, particularly as urban growth and intensification increases. Although red squirrels have successfully adapted to live alongside us in urban areas, they still need access to native seed-bearing trees (instead of ornamental species often found in gardens) for high quality food sources and for building dreys, habitat corridors for movement, and protection from road traffic…. […]

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News: Moffat’s red squirrels and golden eagles team up to give native wildlife a boost

…compared to 2019. “Although necessary, the decision to control grey squirrels is not an easy one to make so we were delighted when Forestry and Land Scotland asked if we would consider saving our grey squirrel carcasses for the recently arrived juvenile eagles.” The pioneering South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project aims to reinforce the small, isolated and vulnerable population… […]

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Reviewing the Scottish Strategy for Red Squirrel Conservation

…aims to produce a practical, evidence-based and realistic approach to species recovery even in the current era of the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. The main 50-year vision informing the new Strategy is to achieve the recovery of red squirrels in Scotland; to see healthy, self-sustaining populations which are capable of fulfilling their ecological role throughout their… […]

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Keeping track of red squirrel numbers in gardens around Gatehouse of Fleet

…time. This will certainly be less than the total number of reds living in your area but it is probably a good indicator of their local numbers. So, the Gatehouse survey team of over 20 households simply sends in their monthly maximum number of reds seen at once (anywhere in the garden, not just at the feeders). If you spend… […]

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This Year's Sightings