Red squirrels are one of the UKs most beloved native species, now confined to isolated refugia. Their plight illustrates the welfare and conservation consequences of invasive species introductions.
Red squirrel conservation involves difficult welfare trade-offs. Grey squirrel control through trapping and culling is necessary for red squirrel survival but raises welfare concerns for individual grey squirrels. Humane dispatch methods and strict protocols minimize suffering, but the scale required is significant. Red squirrels themselves suffer from squirrelpox — a disease causing facial swelling, lesions, and death within days of infection. Islands and peninsulas that exclude grey squirrels provide refuge populations where red squirrels thrive without constant disease pressure.