The red squirrel is one of Britain most beloved native mammals, confined to Scotland, northern England, and parts of Wales following displacement by introduced grey squirrels that outcompete reds and carry squirrelpox virus.
Red squirrel welfare depends on management of the grey squirrel interface zone to prevent squirrelpox transmission. Lethal grey squirrel control raises significant welfare questions given the intelligence and sentience of squirrels. Contraceptive vaccine approaches offer a more humane alternative that is under development. Captive assurance colonies for red squirrels involve welfare management of a highly active and behaviorally complex species requiring enriched environments.