The UK forest where red squirrels are on the rise

Park rangers in Cumbria are celebrating a bumper year for red squirrel numbers.

A team of conservationists recorded hundreds of animal species, in five different areas of the country, for their big Annual Creature Count.

The randers said that one of the biggest jumps was in red squirrel sightings, in Whinfell Forest, near Penrith.

The team added that sightings of the fluffy red creatures had increased by 24 per cent, from 174 in 2024 to 215 so far this year.

Whinfell Forest is one of sixteen official red squirrel refuges in the UK, making it a very important protected area for the species.

Red squirrels are endangered in Britain, mainly because they struggle to compete with the bigger more aggressive grey squirrels, who arrived from north America in the late 19th century.

The rangers were able to track the red squirrels by using thermal-scanning devices, GPS software, and remote cameras.

Rangers at the site think the increase this year is partly because it is a 'mast year' - when trees produce lots more seeds, berries and nuts - providing a feast for wildlife.