Rare Red Squirrel Colony Thriving in North Yorkshire

Conservationists have welcomed the “super-exciting” success of a rare colony of red squirrels found on a tree plantation in North Yorkshire.

The squirrels were first recorded in January within a Sitka spruce plantation in the western Yorkshire Dales. The discovery was made by Julie Bailey of the UK Squirrel Accord (UKSA), a partnership of forestry and conservation organisations.

Monitoring and Protection Efforts

Since the initial sighting, volunteers, conservationists and landowners have worked together to monitor and protect the group.

Ms Bailey has now confirmed sightings of 16 red squirrels, stating: “I’m very encouraged by the squirrels’ persistence and breeding success.”

The Yorkshire Dales Red Squirrel Alliance, established earlier this year, now has more than 40 active volunteers. Their activities include:

• Maintaining feeders where natural food sources are limited

• Tracking squirrel movements

• Controlling the population of non-native grey squirrels

Public Awareness and Community Support

Ms Bailey stressed that public support is vital for the species’ future.

“When people are walking in woodlands and spot a squirrel, it’s vital they report the sighting,” she said.

“It helps us track population densities and stay vigilant about any greys.”

She also urged people not to approach or disturb red squirrels in the wild.

“It is absolutely essential that the public don’t encourage the hand feeding of squirrels – it does happen occasionally and is very detrimental.

“It makes red squirrels tame and it puts them at greater risk of disease transmission.”

Sightings have recently been reported close to the West Yorkshire border. As a result, the UKSA is encouraging the creation of new local conservation groups to help monitor expanding populations.

Signs of Expansion

“We just want red squirrels everywhere in the natural environment – healthy, wild and free,” Ms Bailey said.

She also urged landowners to get involved, saying: “The more land access we have, the more squirrel range and sightings we can document.”

Preliminary surveys indicate that the squirrels are beginning to explore new areas of woodland, with activity recorded near the northern boundary of the plantation.

Red Squirrels Remain at Risk

Red squirrels are native to the UK but have been pushed close to extinction by the spread of grey squirrels.
It is estimated that fewer than 40,000 red squirrels remain in England.

The UKSA hopes the North Yorkshire project will serve as a model for red squirrel conservation across the country.

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