Rare sighting of red squirrel in Scotland's central belt

The red squirrel was spotted on a fence in a Bishopbriggs garden

A red squirrel has been spotted in the central belt of Scotland in a rare sighting.

The squirrel was seen darting along a fence in Lanette Perry's garden in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire.

Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels (SSRS), a project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said it was one of the most southerly red squirrel sightings in Scotland's central belt in decades.

It said the emergence of the species in the area could be due to conservation efforts.

SSRS spokeswoman Katie Berry said: "We cannot say exactly why this pioneering red has turned up in this location - it is perhaps testament to the grey control efforts in areas to the north in recent years, and possibly also as a result of increasing pine marten populations in the Central Lowlands."

More than 75% of the UK’s remaining red squirrels are found in Scotland, however there are only about 120,000 remaining in Scotland.

Their numbers have fallen drastically in recent decades.

This is largely due the spread of the invasive non-native grey squirrel, which was first introduced from North America in the late 1800s to decorate the gardens of stately homes.

Grey squirrels also carry squirrelpox, a virus that does not harm them but is deadly to reds.

The destruction of woodland has also contributed to the red squirrel’s decline.

SSRS, which is supported by the Scottish government’s Nature Restoration Fund, is monitoring squirrel numbers across Scotland, managing the impact of squirrelpox, and helping to combat the spread of grey squirrels in key strategic areas.

It says the introduction of pine martens could also have had an impact on squirrel numbers as it is believed they prey on grey squirrels more than reds.

The group has appealed to anyone who sees red or grey squirrels to report any sightings to them and submit photographs if possible.