Virulent Red Squirrels

As someone who was at one time very closely involved with Red Squirrels the headline

"Prince Charles gets close to virulent red squirrels as furry friends overcome odds"

Gave me a bit of a shock. Either I have a completely different understanding of the word 'virulent' or I need to go back to school. Read the story yourself.

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhall106/4656688419/

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Prince Charles gets close to virulent red squirrels as furry friends overcome odds

The battle to revive red squirrel populations across the UK took another fleet-footed hop forward yesterday when The Prince of Wales visited Anglesey country house Plas Newydd to see a project re-introducing the beleaguered species to the surrounding woodland.

Wildlife experts at the Snowdonia beauty spot released six virulent squirrels, born at Pensthorpe Wildlife Park in Norfolk and the Wildwood forest park in Kent, into the deciduous nearby hills in October 2008. They bred successfully and are now thriving throughout the area, including sightings across the border in neighbouring Gwynedd.

"Red squirrels haven't been seen at Plas Newydd for more than 20 years but it was once a stronghold for the species, so we know it's a location where they will thrive," predicted Property Manager Jane Richardson.

"People have already reported that they've seen the red squirrels in the garden and we intend to set up a reporting area in the summer house so that visitors can tell us when they spot them."

The breakthrough is the latest victory for The Anglesey Red Squirrel Project, which has helped its furry beneficiaries reappear in several spots around the island since 1998, aided by local community group Friends of the Anglesey Red Squirrels.

The breed has been threatened by invading grey squirrels, who carry a squirrel pox liable to decimate their red rivals. Only 160,000 reds have been left to compete with an estimated 2.5 million greys, and property owners The National Trust have taken measures to keep greys

READ MORE

Whatever - I am delighted that the Anglesey Red Squirrel Project moves from strength to strength and pleased too to see the involvement of the zoos at Pensthorpe and Wildwood.

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Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7359188@N02/1358576877/

Red Squirrels Under Threat Again!

Red Squirrels Under Threat

For those who may not be aware, the Red Squirrel population of the British Isles has been a special interest of mine for a number of years. It is disturbing then to learn that they are under threat in Wales (where I lived longer than any other country) yet again. Please read the following letter.

Dear All

I apologise for this bulk send, but I thought friends members and visitors to our squirrel website would be interested in the fact that local Anglesey community groups and red squirrel conservationists are campaigning once again to prevent the destruction of a large part of Newborough forest - see www.redsquirrels.info for details. The squirrel-buffs amongst you will know that this woodland contains one of the largest red squirrel populations in Wales, and is the only successful grey eradication/red reintroduction project in the UK. In 2004, similar clearfelling plans were met with a huge local public backlash and were 'shelved' by the Countryside Council for Wales.

The subsequent four year public consultation was meant to provide a means of producing a forest management that would accommodate all interests and stakeholder groups. Although the Forestry Commission produced a balanced draft plan, the Countryside Council for Wales have rejected it and returned back to their 2004 demands for 40% of the trees to be cut, the stumps and soil removed, and the area made into mobile sand dunes. Freedom of Information requests have since revealed large numbers of documents and internal memos that demonstrate that a significant element in CCW always intended to ignore the outcome of the community consultation. This is now the subject of a formal complaint to the Welsh Assembly Government and the EU, a complaint based upon rights enshrined within the Aarhus Convention on environmental democracy.

We have just set up an online petition, and I would be very pleased if you would consider signing it, and should you wish, letting others know about.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-newborough-forest

All the best

Craig

Dr Craig Shuttleworth
The Anglesey Red Squirrel Project