Not too late to save the reds

Reports confirming squirrelpox has reached the red squirrel stronghold north of the Central

Belt highlight just how vulnerable our red squirrel population has become.

First found in Scotland in 2007 the disease, that solely kills native red squirrels but is carried by invasive greys, is thought to be 20 times more fatal to reds in areas with the disease than through competition from grey squirrels alone.

Last year, for the first time, more than a third of squirrel sightings recorded through SWT’s Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels website were the invasive grey species. Much of the increase was in the Southern Uplands, Fife and Tayside where the species compete.

With squirrelpox becoming more widespread it’s time nature leant a hand. It’s been proven through research in Ireland that the introduction of pine martens into areas where greys are competing with reds significantly reduced the grey squirrel population and in some areas eradicated greys completely. The more agile reds already coexist with martens in the Scottish Highlands and martens catch the slower greys.

A pine marten reintroduction programme coupled with continued human eradication of greys in competing territories is the way forward. The public is urged to take photos of any ill red squirrels and send them to squirrels@ scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk. Hopefully it’s not too late to save Scotland’s most loved mammal.

Neil Anderson, Edinburgh

The more agile reds already coexist with martens in the Scottish Highlands and martens catch the slower greys