Red squirrels: a race against time

We have remained at the forefront of red squirrel conservation across Scotland since 2009.

Over that time, we have garnered the support of over 550 landowners. Trained hundreds of volunteers. Collaborated with tens of local communities. Great strides have been made in protecting this iconic species.

But there is still much to be done.

Reds were once the only squirrel species in Britain. But since the 19th Century, the arrival of greys has caused a catastrophic population decline. Grey squirrels are larger, will outcompete reds for food and shelter, and perhaps most devastating, they carry squirrelpox – a virulent virus to which greys are immune, but is deadly to reds. Today, 80% of the entire UK population of red squirrels live in Scotland – but their safety isn’t guaranteed.

There has never been a more critical time to protect red squirrels.

Working together, we can secure a sustainable future for red squirrels in Scotland.

You can help save Scotland’s red squirrels

Your donation could provide a lifeline.

£595 could provide specialist advice to landowners on the best way to protect reds.

£260 could buy specialised equipment including feeder boxes and trail cameras.

£100 could help maintain our online Community Hub – the UK repository for red squirrel data.

£80 could help process data from the Great Scottish Squirrel Survey.

£36 could buy a bag of red squirrel food for monitoring purposes.

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Scotland’s red squirrels need your help

The highlands of Scotland are the only remaining mainland area in the UK where red squirrels are widely found without grey presence – thanks to the work of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels. As long as we can ensure large areas of the northern part of the country remain grey squirrel free, Scotland will continue to be the safest place left for red squirrels in the UK.

Ambitious plans will shape the future

If we can maintain our efforts, Aberdeen could become a red squirrel only city in the near future – a seemingly unattainable goal just a few years ago.

Our novel approaches include exploring the use of specially trained drey detection dogs, who would work alongside our local volunteers. In other areas, such as the Loch Lomond Islands, we hope to carry out acoustic monitoring to detect for any reincursion of greys, potentially helping the islands become red-squirrel-only areas.

Every donation will go directly to protecting this much-loved species. Your gift can make the difference and help our ambitious plans to safeguard Scotland’s red squirrels for generations to come.

Please donate today and help our native red squirrels

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