‘Superdad’ of the squirrel world gets a rest at last
STAFF at a Westcountry wildlife reserve will be waving goodbye to one of their favourite animals this week when Radish, a red squirrel, leaves to enjoy a well-earned retirement – after fathering a dozen young to halt a critical wildlife decline.
The five-year-old ‘Superdad’ has been the engine of a successful red squirrel breeding programme in Devon at the conservation charity Wildwood Escot, leading the fight against red squirrel population decline since 2018.
Ben Gregory, senior keeper at the East Devon estate, said: “Radish is a real star. He has played a crucial role in our breeding efforts, producing a total of 12 kits for release projects. We’re all sorry to see him go, but he has certainly earned his retirement.”
Radish is set to be released into a spacious walk-through woodland enclosure at the charity’s site in Kent. There, he will join a small group of males which includes other veterans of the fight to save the red squirrel.
“We also have an open woodland habitat here in Devon,” Ben added, “but, in order to have proper control over breeding, ours is an all-female facility whilst the enclosure at our sister park in Kent is all-male.
“In addition to providing an excellent opportunity for visitors to see this iconic species in their natural habitat, these woodland habitats enable us to provide a fitting retirement for both our male and female squirrels once they’ve left the programme.”
Established in 2002, the Wildwood Trust specialises in the protection and promotion of British wildlife and wild spaces. Much of the charity’s work involves the breeding of endangered species for managed release programmes. In addition to red squirrels, this work includes water voles, hazel dormice, pine martens, beavers and wildcats.
Red squirrels were once a common sight in the British landscape but the population has been in steep decline since the introduction of the grey squirrel from America in the 1800s. In addition to being larger and more aggressive, the grey squirrel carries a virus, which is harmless to the grey but deadly to the reds.
George Hyde, general manager at Wildwood Escot, said: “Radish has played a vital role in the long, ongoing battle against the grey invasion, but his contribution would be impossible without the generosity of our supporters. At this time of year, we see a spike of interest in our red squirrel adoptions and hand-feeding experiences which, in addition to funding our breeding and release programme, make ideal gifts.”
The Wildwood Trust recently began working with Natural Resources Wales on a new release programme, which will see young squirrels bred in Devon and Kent released into controlled sites in the Welsh countryside.
Carrying on the family tradition, Radish’s son, Bonsai, will be paired with a new female red squirrel arriving soon from the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay. The staff at Wildwood Escot are confident that Radish’s legacy will continue with his grandchildren, following their aunts and uncles, released into the British countryside next year.