FAQ: The grey squirrel has already spread rapidly across the Scottish lowlands and England. Is there still hope for the red squirrel?
Despite the extensive spread of grey squirrels to date (this map is an approximate picture of red and grey squirrel distribution in Scotland today), there still hope for the red squirrel. Strong red squirrel populations still exist in areas of north Scotland which so far remain unoccupied by greys. Grey squirrels are not yet present in the Highlands, Argyll, much North East Scotland or northern parts of Perthshire and Angus.
The grey squirrel has spread rapidly across the Scottish lowlands where scattered woodland, hedgerows and trees have been of a make-up that allows grey squirrels to fare better than red squirrels. SSRS believes that the landscape north of the Highland Boundary Fault will help protect remaining strong red squirrel populations as the treeless terrain of the mountain ranges and woodland habitats less favourable to grey squirrels act as obstacles to grey squirrel expansion, allowing us to target grey squirrel control at the relatively few routes through or around the uplands.
At the same time, our sister project, Red Squirrels in South Scotland, is doing essential work to contain the spread of squirrelpox that has begun to spread across the border from Cumbria. Without this vital effort, this disease which is fatal to red squirrels but carried by greys unharmed, would assist grey squirrels to replace red squirrels an estimated 20 to 25 times as fast as they have done to date.
Find out what SSRS is doing to protect red squirrels in your area and how you can get involved.
