'Red squirrel colony is thriving in the Dales'

Sixteen red squirrels have been confirmed as part of the colony

Conservationists have hailed the "super-exciting" success of a rare colony of red squirrels discovered on a tree plantation in North Yorkshire.

The animals were first identified in January, in a sitka spruce plantation in the western Yorkshire Dales, by Julie Bailey from the UK Squirrel Accord (UKSA), a partnership of forestry and conservation organisations.

Since then, volunteers, conservationists and landowners have worked to monitor and protect the colony.

Ms Bailey confirmed that 16 red squirrels had now been spotted, and said: "I'm very encouraged by the squirrels' persistence and breeding success."

"We're now finding evidence of new squirrels in all directions from the plantation," she said.

"They've been spotted up to six miles away."

The Yorkshire Dales Red Squirrel Alliance, formed earlier this year, now has more than 40 active volunteers.

Their work includes maintaining feeders in areas where natural food is scarce, monitoring squirrel movements and managing the population of non-native grey squirrels.

But Ms Bailey insisted that everyone had a role to play when it came to protecting red squirrels.

"When people are walking in woodlands and spot a squirrel, it's vital they report the sighting," she said.

"It helps us track population densities and stay vigilant about any greys."

She also urged people not to interfere with red squirrels.

"It is absolutely essential that the public don't encourage the hand feeding of squirrels - it does happen occasionally and is very detrimental.

"It makes red squirrels tame and it puts them at greater risk of disease transmission."

There are thought to be fewer than 40,000 red squirrels left in England

Sightings of red squirrels have now been reported near the West Yorkshire border, prompting the UKSA to encourage the formation of new local alliances to monitor populations.

"We just want red squirrels everywhere in the natural environment - healthy, wild and free," Ms Bailey said.

She also urged landowners to get involved, saying: "The more land access we have, the more squirrel range and sightings we can document."

Preliminary surveys suggest the squirrels are exploring new areas of the forest, with activity recorded near the plantation's northern boundary.

Red squirrels are native to the UK but have been pushed to the brink of extinction by the spread of grey squirrels.

There are thought to be fewer than 40,000 red squirrels left in England.

The UKSA hopes the success in North Yorkshire can serve as a model for similar conservation efforts across the country.

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