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Our innovative Red Squirrel Reintroduction Project is translocating reds to suitable forests in the northwest Highlands from which they are missing. We are creating eight new populations in sites where reds can flourish free from grey squirrels and disease - providing a huge boost to UK numbers.

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Situation

The red squirrel was once present across most of GB but numbers have been decimated by deforestation and the introduction of the non-native grey squirrel. Reds are now restricted to Scotland and a few sites in England and Wales. Scotland is now the species’ stronghold, but numbers are still low and the species is missing from the northwest Highlands. There's lots of suitable habitat there, but squirrels cannot recolonise the region due to the large gaps in forest cover between populations.

Solution

Through translocating red squirrels to suitable forests in the northwest Highlands from donor sites where populations are healthy, the project is creating new populations that can flourish without risk of disease or competition from grey squirrels. In time, these new populations will expand and create new strongholds – significantly increasing both the numbers and range of red squirrels in the UK and providing a huge boost to British red squirrel conservation.

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