🛑 RED SQUIRRELS ARE VANISHING BEFORE OUR EYES.

 

 

Once common across the UK, these shy, iconic mammals now cling to survival in just a few woodland strongholds.

They are more than a countryside symbol – they are a national favourite.

Even King Charles has called them “ambassadors for nature”. Their cultural importance is so widely felt that they now feature on the UK’s new 2p coin, their copper-red coats echoing its hue.

🦊 It’s only thanks to tireless volunteers, local groups and small charities that red squirrels survive in England at all.

🌲 But those efforts are being quietly undone.

While it’s illegal to kill a red squirrel, destroying its habitat is still allowed – and it’s happening. Ancient plantations known to support reds are being felled with no mitigation, no reassessment, and no consequence.

Enough is enough. If we don’t act now, we risk losing red squirrels from England for good.

WHY IT MATTERS

Red squirrels are now functionally extinct across most of England. Officially listed as Near Threatened (Woodland Trust), they survive in just a few strongholds in the north where targeted conservation continues.

Core populations remain in:

• Cumbria

• Northumberland

• County Durham

• Lancashire

• Parts of North Yorkshire

Their range has shrunk drastically due to habitat loss and the spread of the non-native North American grey squirrel – which outcompetes reds and carries the deadly squirrel pox virus.

📊 DEFRA data shows grey squirrels now outnumber reds in both Cumbria (by 17.3%) and Northumberland (by 25%).

These regions offer the last hope for recovery – if we act now to protect and restore habitat.

THE QUIET CRISIS

Despite conservation success stories – like the recovery of reds on Anglesey – threats remain:

🪓 Forestry England reportedly plans to clear-fell one of the largest red squirrel woodlands in the north

🪵 At Killhope, County Durham, a thriving red squirrel plantation has already been razed

🌿 At Pow Hill Bog, reds cling to a fragile strip of woodland, under pressure from recreation and road traffic

🌲 In Northumberland, several red-supporting conifer plantations have been heavily or entirely felled

📝 Under the UK Forestry Standard, landowners are advised to retain at least 20% of woodland for biodiversity – but in practice, this is often ignored.

THE GREY SQUIRREL PROBLEM

It's not their 'fault' - as they were brought from North America by the Victorians - but...

Non-native greys:

⚠️ Carry squirrel pox (fatal to reds)

🌳 Strip bark from hardwoods, causing tree death and disease

🏚 Cause significant property damage – insurers like LV= report rising claims worth hundreds of millions

We have wildlife laws on paper – but they’re not being enforced.

WHAT WE’RE CALLING FOR

We urge the UK Government and devolved authorities to:

✅ Enforce existing legislation – including the Wildlife and Countryside Act and Forest Research Operational Notes – in red squirrel areas

✅ Add red squirrels to the Habitats and Species Conservation Regulations 2017 – just as badgers and beavers were in 2022

✅ Implement the 20% biodiversity set-aside properly, with oversight and penalties for non-compliance

✅ Reform and expand squirrel management grants (e.g. WS3) to support more private landowners in northern England

✅ Promote mixed native planting of trees – Scots pine, hazel, oak – to boost long-term biodiversity

TIME TO PUT RED SQUIRRELS ON THE NATIONAL AGENDA

Most people don’t realise the true impact grey squirrels have – or how close we are to losing reds in England entirely.

We don’t need to rewrite policy.

👉 We just need to enforce what’s already there.

👉 We must protect vital habitat.

👉 We must prioritise native biodiversity over profit.

SIGN THIS PETITION TO:

✅ Enforce red squirrel protection laws

✅ Include red squirrels under the UK’s strongest legal safeguards

✅ Protect and monitor at least 20% of sustainable woodland for biodiversity

✅ Stop habitat destruction before it’s too late

✅ Secure a future for one of Britain’s most beloved native species

🌱 Thank you for helping protect our precious reds.