A new report has detailed the success of red squirrel conservation in Scotland, while making key recommendations for the iconic species’ long-term future in Scotland.
Saving an icon: Final report from the Developing Community Action Phase of Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels has been published one year on from Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) five-year, £2.46 million funded Developing Community Action project.
The report summarises the methods, achievements, challenges, and crucial lessons learned over the five-year nation-wide endeavour, and outlines recommendations to ensure a legacy of continued successful red squirrel conservation in Scotland into the future.
The project aimed to find sustainable and affordable ways by which to halt the decline, and enable reestablishment in some areas, of Scotland’s red squirrels - which account for around 75 per cent of the total UK population.
Red squirrels are a protected species, but for many years have experienced declines due to the invasive non-native grey squirrel introduced to Britain from North America in Victorian times.
READ MORE: Scotland's wildlife is in crisis. Here's how we save it
Grey squirrels out-compete reds for food and living space and have rapidly replaced native red squirrel populations across most of England, Wales, and Scotland’s Central Belt. Grey squirrels can also carry squirrelpox, a virus that doesn’t harm them but is deadly to reds.
Since 2017 grey squirrel control and monitoring efforts have increased dramatically across Scotland with red squirrels remaining and gaining ground in significant areas.
The recommendations detailed are founded on the work put in by staff, and on the considerable achievements of local communities, landowners, stakeholders, and the Scottish public to save Scotland’s red squirrels from suffering a similar fate to those of England and Wales.
At a national level, the report recommends that the SSRS Community Hub, an online nation-wide squirrel distribution monitoring and management database and volunteer support system, should continue to inform the co-ordination of red squirrel protection measures.
The success of the SSRS programme to date, the report also recommends that the Scottish Squirrel Group – consisting of a wide range of government departments, agencies, and NGOs – should also be reconvened to revise the national strategy for red squirrel conservation in Scotland.
Eileen Stuart, NatureScot Deputy Director of Nature and Climate Change, said: “The red squirrel is one of our most iconic species, and it’s heartening to reflect on the progress that has been made through this project to protect and expand populations. It is particularly encouraging to see the number of individuals, communities and landowners who have volunteered their time to make a significant contribution to help protect Scotland’s red squirrels.
"NatureScot remains committed to ensuring the important work undertaken by Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels continues, and this project has demonstrated that a mix of voluntary and funded action can provide a sustainable long term future for this much-loved species.”
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Sarah Robinson, Director of Conservation at the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the lead partner on the project, added: “It’s fantastic to see the successes for red squirrels in Scotland due to the exceptional work put in by staff, landowners, and volunteers.
"It is essential now to recognise that this work needs to continue, and the recommendations detailed in the report are inputted into the delivery plans for the new Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045.”
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