Red squirrels survive in Scotland, northern England, and Ireland, facing welfare threats from squirrelpox carried by grey squirrels.
Red squirrels dying from squirrelpox experience an agonising end: the virus causes facial and limb lesions, ulceration, and progressive debilitation over 15 days before death. Individual red squirrels suffering from squirrelpox cannot be treated effectively. Prevention through grey squirrel management in buffer zones protects red squirrel populations from this welfare harm.