Red Squirrel South-West

29/10/2026

Thanks to Countryside Jobs Service for this article (link below):

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

As part of CJS Focus on Animals and Wildlife we revisit an article from British Red Squirrel and find out about some of the damage grey squirrels are causing.

It’s a different, sometimes controversial way of working with animals and wildlife.

Is it essential?

Read on to help you decide

https://c-js.uk/4ng4P6f

19/10/2026

Grey Squirrel Management Training - Available Courses - https://mailchi.mp/9c99bd9c5fbf/gsmt-2026

15/10/2026

https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/devon/news/we-need-to-all-do-more-if-we-want-red-squirrels-to-thrive-again-in-the-south-west

Thank you to Andrew Kay from Greatest Hits Radio for this piece on our work! If you would like to get involved or find out more please email us at [email protected]

There's calls for more volunteers to help control grey squirrel numbers, under...

13/10/2026

If you would like to read our Autumn 2026 Newsletter, you can view it here:

09/10/2026

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Red squirrel recovery is possible. Across the UK, there are places where red squirrel populations are surviving and recovering thanks to the combined efforts of conservation organisations, landowners, volunteers and local communities.

Those successes show us what can be achieved when people work together over the long term. Here in the South West, we’re starting from a very different position. There are no longer any wild red squirrel populations on mainland South West England, which means our first job is to build the foundations.

We’re developing local networks of landowners, volunteers and squirrel controllers, supporting grey squirrel management, protecting woodland health and working with partners across the region. It’s a long-term ambition, but every woodland protected, every landowner brought into the network and every person who gets involved helps move us a little closer to a future where red squirrels can return to the South West.

08/10/2026

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
𝐒𝐨, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨?

There is no single solution to red squirrel conservation. Recovery depends on a combination of approaches. Here in the South West, a major part of our work is grey squirrel management: helping landowners and local controllers work together to reduce grey squirrel numbers and their impact on woodland.

We’re also interested in the wider picture: healthy and connected woodland, monitoring, research and new approaches such as fertility control. Natural predators may also have a role. Research from Scotland and Ireland has shown that pine martens can reduce grey squirrel populations, and their return to parts of the South West could provide another piece of the puzzle. Red squirrels have evolved alongside these natural predators, making them more vigilant and better at avoiding capture.

Our aim is to bring these different strands together and build a long-term “Roadmap to the Reds” - restoring woodland health and creating the conditions in which red squirrels could eventually return.

07/10/2026

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐨𝐱: 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐬

Squirrelpox virus is one of the reasons grey squirrels and red squirrels cannot simply share the same woodland. Grey squirrels can carry the virus whilst remaining immune to it, while infection can be fatal to red squirrels.

Importantly, red squirrels don’t necessarily need to come into direct contact with a grey squirrel to be exposed. Shared feeders and areas of woodland can provide opportunities for transmission. This is why surveillance, reporting and good biosecurity matter in areas where both red and grey squirrels can be found.

Disease is just one part of the challenge, but understanding it helps us make better conservation decisions.

06/10/2026

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐬?

Grey squirrels are one of the biggest threats. They out-compete red squirrels for food and habitat, and carry squirrelpox virus, which can be fatal to reds. There are other pressures too. The loss and fragmentation of woodland reduces the space available for red squirrels to feed, nest and move between populations.

Grey squirrels also cause significant damage to habitats themselves, by stripping bark from trees, which can kill or deform them and affect the health and resilience of our woodlands.

That’s why our work in the South West is about more than red squirrels. By tackling the impacts of grey squirrels and protecting the health of our native woodlands, we can create healthier, more resilient habitats and begin to pave the way for red squirrels to return in the future.

05/10/2026

We would be very grateful if you could nominate us for this draw. Just search for Red Squirrel South West Project. Thank you for your support! 😁🙏

We could receive a £5,000 donation with your help through the Movement for Good Draw.

05/10/2026

𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲: 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲?

The red squirrel is Britain’s only native squirrel, but its range has dramatically reduced since grey squirrels were introduced from North America in the 19th century. Today, there are estimated to be around 287,000 red squirrels in Great Britain, compared with around 2.7 million grey squirrels. Here in the South West, the situation is particularly stark. There are currently no wild populations of red squirrels on mainland South West England.

At Red Squirrel South West, we’re working to restore woodland health and build the foundations needed for red squirrels to return to the South West in the future.
This week, we’ll be looking at the threats facing red squirrels, the solutions available, and what recovery can look like.

Follow along for Red Squirrel Awareness Week.