Aberdeen's grey squirrels to be tagged and tracked

The movements of 10 grey squirrels are to be monitored

Grey squirrels in Aberdeen are to be tagged and tracked in an effort to understand the animals' behaviour in urban areas.

Ten squirrels are to be caught and fitted with VHF radio and GPS tracking devices in the study led by Inverness College UHI.

The squirrels will be monitored from late March to July.

The research has been described as the first of its kind and forms part of work to better protect red squirrels.

Reds are a native species and face competition for food and habitat as well as possible exposure to disease from non-native greys.

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The new research is being done in collaboration with the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels project.

The squirrels will be fitted with collars with tracking equipment powered by lightweight batteries.

The project said little was known about how greys move around the city and what areas they preferred, and the routes used to reach their favourite habitats.

Scotland's native red squirrels face threats from the large non-native greys

Public body Forestry and Land Scotland has provided funding and the study will be done under a special licence from NatureScot, formerly Scottish Natural Heritage.

Grey squirrels were first introduced to Aberdeen in the 1970s, according to Saving Red Squirrels.

The larger species took over red squirrel habitat across the city and also parts of Aberdeenshire, and even posed a threat to red populations in the Highlands, a stronghold for the native species.