Endangered red squirrels have been found in a wood in the Western Yorkshire Dales for the first time. Red squirrels had not been seen there before, according to a UK Squirrel Accord project officer who identified them. They were found in an 18-hectare Sitka spruce plantation and the news couldn’t have come on a better day as its Red Squirrel Appreciated Day.
The 21st of January celebrates the humble red squirrel and what better news than new sitings of the creatures? UK Squirrel Accord’s project officer, Julie Bailey, identified them as believing the colony will prosper and increase.
Reporting via the website, Project Officer Bailey explained: “The plantation owners gave permission to survey a specific area using thermal imaging technology that picks up body heat. I found four individual red squirrels. I then placed two cameras in the area and was able to confirm a new colony of red squirrels. The plantation owners were delighted.”
She added, “One local volunteer who lives close to the plantation has, for some time, been managing non-native grey squirrels and his work has enabled these reds to move into the plantation,” she adds.
Other red squirrel populations can be found within a few miles of the plantation and this new discovery leaves optimism for the future of the native species.
Rebecca Isted, Forestry Commission Squirrel Policy Advisor, said: “Our native red squirrels are an important part of our natural heritage and the discovery of a new population in North Yorkshire is a positive step in our shared aim to protect, identify and strengthen populations across England.
“Red squirrels are endangered and we estimate there are fewer than 40,000 left in England. The Forestry Commission is committed to supporting the survival and recovery of our native species in woodlands across the country.”
You can find out more via the UK Squirrel Accord website here.
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