The red squirrel survives in the UK only in isolated strongholds, and conservation management to protect remaining populations involves significant welfare considerations.
Red squirrel conservation involves lethal control of grey squirrels, which raises welfare questions about the methods and scale of control. Trapping and shooting programmes that use humane methods minimise individual suffering, but poorly designed or monitored traps can cause prolonged stress. Supplementary feeding supports red squirrel winter survival but must be managed to avoid disease transmission. Translocation of red squirrels for population reinforcement involves capture and handling stress. The welfare of individual red squirrels must be considered within the conservation context, as without active management, remaining populations face extinction.