New research has revealed a startling truth: a third of British children do not know that red squirrels still live in the UK. One in ten could not identify one from a photograph.
For Marie Carter-Robb, North Pennines journalist and Founder of the Save Our Reds campaign, the findings are deeply concerning – but not surprising.
“This is exactly what we’ve been warning about ” she says.
“Red squirrels are disappearing not just from our woodlands but from public consciousness. When a third of children don’t know they still live here, that should concern all of us. Children cannot care about something they don’t realise exists.”
The Censuswide survey of 2,000 children aged 8–15, commissioned by Center Parcs in collaboration with The Wildlife Trusts, found that one in three was unaware that red squirrels still survive in Britain. The findings have sparked renewed discussion about how to reconnect young people with native wildlife.
Save Our Reds, founded in August 2025, has been calling for stronger enforcement of existing wildlife protections and greater safeguards for red squirrel habitat.
The campaign’s Change.org petition has now gathered over 72,000 signatures, urging the UK Government to enforce current legislation, strengthen legal protections, and properly implement a 20% biodiversity set-aside within woodland schemes.
This week marks a significant step forward for the campaign, with the launch of a dedicated website at www.saveourreds.uk and the formal incorporation of Save Our Reds as a Community Interest Company – cementing its long-term commitment to community-led conservation.
“This is no longer just a petition,” Marie says.
“It’s a movement for Britain’s remaining red squirrel strongholds.”
The campaign has also inspired Little Red: Warrior Squirrel, a beautifully illustrated children’s book published by North Pennines Press and featuring a foreword by BBC filmmaker Terry Abraham. Created to reconnect families with Britain’s native red squirrel, it forms part of a wider effort to ensure the species remains part of living woodland reality rather than fading into folklore.
The statistics tell a stark story. From an estimated 3.5 million red squirrels 150 years ago, the population has fallen to around 120,000 today, confined largely to Scotland, northern England, and a handful of offshore islands. The introduction of the non-native grey squirrel in 1876 accelerated their decline: greys outcompete reds for food and carry the deadly squirrelpox virus, which is almost always fatal to red squirrels.
“We have protections on paper,” Marie adds. “But too often they are not enforced.
She added: While it is illegal to kill a red squirrel, the woodland habitat that supports them can still be cleared with little accountability – even in sensitive areas. That has to change.”
To sign the petition, visit change.org/save-our-reds PLEASE SHARE. 🐿️
To find out more, visit: saveourreds.uk
Little Red: Warrior Squirrel - Part 1: Return to the Trees is available on Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/0ar7FFtu