Wildlife

Wild Animal Welfare and Red Squirrel Conservation 2026

Red squirrels face extinction in England from grey squirrel competition and squirrelpox, with conservation programs providing welfare and population support.

Key Facts

Red squirrels survive in England only in isolated populations of about 15,000 individuals
Grey squirrels outcompete reds for food and carry squirrelpox virus fatal to red squirrels
Dedicated red squirrel reserves with grey squirrel control maintain viable populations
Oral contraceptive baits for grey squirrels are in development as a humane management tool
Supplementary feeding supports red squirrels through difficult winter periods in reserves

Welfare Considerations

Red squirrel conservation prevents extinction and reduces suffering from squirrelpox. Supporting conservation programs and humane grey squirrel management enables coexistence.

What You Can Do

Support Red Squirrel United or your regional red squirrel conservation group
Report red squirrel sightings to population monitoring programs
Donate to oral contraceptive bait development for humane grey squirrel management