""I feel very lucky to have them on the farm. It's an important thing to try and keep a healthy population of them. They are absolutely beautiful," he said."
"Non-native grey squirrels cause huge damage to our trees and native wildlife. So we're stepping up action to tackle their threat while protecting our iconic, endangered red squirrels. We'll be working with landowners and conservation partners to better manage grey squirrel populations, and engaging in promising research into"
Red squirrel numbers in the UK have fallen from about 3.4 million to an estimated 287,000 due to competition from introduced grey squirrels, disease, and habitat loss. Grey squirrels, introduced from 1876, outcompete red squirrels for food and carry squirrelpox, which is fatal to reds but not greys. Around 75% of reds are found in Scotland, with England holding roughly 38,900, including a healthy Isle of Wight population. Ancient woodland loss has reduced suitable habitat for reds. The government's new action plan for England aims to increase woodland habitat, remove grey squirrels where reds survive, and work with landowners, conservation partners, and research initiatives.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]