Red squirrels face near-extinction in England from competition with grey squirrels and squirrelpox virus, with welfare implications for individuals in the remaining strongholds.
Red squirrel welfare involves both population-level conservation threats and individual animal suffering from squirrelpox infection. An infected red squirrel experiences severe lesions on the face, feet, and genitalia before dying within weeks - a prolonged welfare harm caused by the virus maintained by grey squirrels that suffer no ill effects. The welfare and conservation cases for grey squirrel management align completely: reducing grey squirrel numbers in red squirrel areas reduces both squirrelpox transmission and resource competition. The development of squirrelpox vaccines represents a welfare improvement that could protect individual red squirrels from one of their most serious welfare threats.