Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) is calling on the public to get outside, explore nature, and take part in its annual nationwide Great Scottish Squirrel Survey next week. In a year with red and grey squirrels appearing in unexpected places, and the first death in Fife of a red squirrel due to squirrelpox, public sightings of both species are more important than ever.
Running between 30 September – 6 October, the annual citizen science nature survey is a chance for members of the public to make a valuable contribution towards vital red squirrel conservation.
Red squirrels are one of Scotland’s most loved animals, and our only native squirrel species. Once widespread throughout the country, in recent decades red squirrel populations have declined due to their replacement by introduced grey squirrels who outcompete them for food and habitat and spread the deadly squirrelpox virus.
Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, is working with local communities, landowners, partner organisations and volunteers to protect red squirrels in key priority areas where they are most under threat from greys.
Programme Manager Nicole Still said:
“Red and grey squirrels have turned up in some very unusual places in 2024 – from reds in urban areas such as Bishopbriggs, the first in Glasgow in many decades – to greys further north than we would normally expect. Alongside this we had our first confirmed death in the Central Lowlands of a red squirrel from squirrelpox earlier in the year.”
“As such its more important than ever that we gather as many public squirrel sightings as possible. Reporting a sighting is a simple thing anyone can do to help – by being our eyes on the ground the public can make an invaluable contribution towards critical Scottish nature conservation efforts.”
“Last year over 1300 people reported almost 2000 squirrel sightings in just one week. Let’s make this year’s survey even greater!”
Squirrels spotted anywhere in the country, from back gardens to local parks and woodlands, or even busy urban areas, can be reported to SSRS via scottishsquirrels.org.uk/squirrel-sightings. These directly inform conservation action on the ground by helping staff, volunteers and partners understand how the distribution of each species is changing over time, where efforts should be prioritised, and alerting the project to situations where grey squirrels are posing an immediate threat.
The Great Scottish Squirrel Survey week will feature a programme of events across the country as well as self-guided opportunities. More information can be found at scottishsquirrels.org.uk/2024-great-scottish-squirrel-survey/
Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and supported by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.
