Official home of Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels (SSRS)

Help us save a Scottish icon.

Only around 121,000 red squirrels are left in Scotland today.

If no action is taken, the red squirrel could become extinct on mainland Scotland.

SSRS is taking action now. We are working to help Scotland’s red squirrels survive and be part of our future. And, with your support, we can do even more. Donate today or get involved with our project to help us protect an iconic member of Scotland’s native wildlife.

SSRS is a crucial part of the first nationally co-ordinated attempt to save Britain’s only native squirrel species, the red squirrel. With its sister project, Red Squirrels in South Scotland, we now have a strategic approach to red squirrel conservation action.

Launched in February 2009, SSRS is a three-year partnership project which aims to halt the decline of red squirrel populations in key areas of north Scotland and improve habitat conditions to allow red squirrels to thrive and increase in number.

This project contributes to the delivery of Scotland's "A Five Year Species Action Framework", which sets out a strategic approach to the conservation of 22 selected species in Scotland.

The red squirrel is one of the first species identified as requiring conservation under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, and the UK government has signed up to the Convention on Biological Diversity which obliges signatory nations to take care of their native wildlife .