03/09/2026
If you're lucky enough to have red squirrels on your local patch, we KNOW you'll want to help them 🐿️
⚠️ But it's really important to recognise when the ways we want to help are actually harmful. As Ella explains, encouraging reds to use feeders and rely on food that we provide does more harm than good.
Here's some more detail:
1. Squirrel feeders increase the risk of red squirrels coming into contact with other species that can pass on a variety of diseases and parasites, some of which are fatal. This doesn't just affect squirrels, either – some can be harmful to humans, too.
2. Encouraging red squirrels to leave the safety of their natural habitats and cross roads to reach food increases the risk of them being hit by cars. They are also at more risk of cat predation, especially when entering more urban areas with fewer escape routes.
3. Feeding red squirrels has a detrimental effect on their natural foraging skills, meaning they're at risk if human food sources reduce or disappear. If mothers don't develop foraging skills, they don't pass them on to kits, so becoming reliant on humans for food also has negative impacts on future generations.
Keeping red squirrels wild is crucial for their continued survival. The best ways to help your local red squirrels are by donating to red squirrel conservation projects and reporting squirrel sightings to local red squirrel groups.
Learn more and find your local red squirrel group 👇
https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/about/what-we-do/wildlife-conservation/saving-red-squirrels
The Red Squirrel Recovery Network project has been made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players.
