Red squirrel populations in the UK face existential pressure from grey squirrel competition and squirrelpox virus; conservation requires targeted intervention.
Red squirrels affected by squirrelpox experience painful skin lesions, swelling around the eyes and mouth, and die within weeks of infection. Conservation management involves difficult welfare trade-offs: lethal control of grey squirrels to protect reds raises its own welfare concerns. Contraceptive fertility control of greys using GonaCon-bait is being developed as a more humane alternative. Supplementary feeding stations must be carefully maintained to prevent spreading disease or dependency. The welfare of individual animals — both red and grey — should remain central to conservation planning.