Red squirrel scheme lands two-year 'booster' funds
- Published
Work will continue for another two years to help protect Scotland's red squirrels
A project aiming to secure the future of red squirrels across Scotland is to be extended for another two years.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) said £1.1m of funding had been received to allow Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels (SSRS) to continue until March 2024.
It said grey squirrels remained the "greatest threat" to red squirrels around the country.
They compete with reds for food and space and can also carry squirrelpox which is deadly only to reds.
SWT said the initial funding - from a range of project partners - would allow it to carry out vital conservation work to mitigate some of the challenges faced during the Covid pandemic.
It said it hoped that would leave a long-lasting legacy across southern Scotland where much of SSRS' efforts have been concentrated.
Volunteer groups are helping with work to boost red squirrel numbers in southern Scotland
Project manager Dr Mel Tonkin said: "Thanks to the hard work of our staff, volunteers, landowners and partners we've seen some fantastic success stories in the past five years.
"But the project has also faced challenges, particularly due to the impact of Covid-19.
"During lockdown much of our grey squirrel control and survey work was suspended.
"This additional two years will help us further secure the red squirrel's place amongst Scotland's special native wildlife."
SWT chief executive Jo Pike said the project had become viewed as an "exemplar of invasive non-native species control".
"We very much look forward to continuing the important work to secure the future of red squirrels in Scotland," she added.
One of the project's key aims is to build a network of local volunteers across the south of the country where squirrelpox is a "major threat".
Sightings of greys and reds were reported across Scotland in a survey carried out this year
It now has 18 groups across the region - some of which are well-established but others need more support to become fully community-led.
In north east Scotland, the project has worked towards the removal of an isolated population of grey squirrels that was introduced to Aberdeen in the 1970s and spread to the surrounding countryside.
It said greys were now largely limited to the centre of the city and eradication was considered "achievable".
SSRS has also worked in the central Lowlands to prevent greys spreading beyond the Highland boundary line and protect Scotland's "core" red populations in the Highlands and Grampian.
It said the need for ongoing work was highlighted by recent grey sightings in Aberfeldy.
SSRS is a partnership project led by the SWT which includes NatureScot, Scottish Forestry, Scottish Land and Estates, RSPB Scotland and the Red Squirrel Survival Trust.
In 2017 the project was awarded £2.46m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
- Published17 March 2020
