FAQ: Red squirrels are a native species. What does this mean?
A native species is one which is naturally found in a specified country of origin. The red squirrel is classed as a native species of the UK and the first evidence of the red squirrel in Britain appears at the end of the last Ice Age (10,000 years ago).
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 obligates signatory nations to take care of their native wildlife.
