Despite the severe pressures facing red squirrels, reasons for hope exist in conservation success, immunocontraception development, and public support.
Red squirrel conservation provides genuine reasons for hope alongside the stark challenges. The Anglesey recovery following grey squirrel eradication demonstrates that targeted management can reverse local extinctions. Immunocontraception development offers the prospect of a humane, sustainable management tool that removes the welfare cost of lethal control from the conservation equation. Public enthusiasm for red squirrels creates volunteer effort and funding that makes ambitious conservation possible.