Red Squirrel Welfare: Conservation and Disease in the UK

Red squirrels are critically threatened in England and Wales due to competition and squirrelpox disease carried by introduced grey squirrels.

Key Facts

Only around 160,000 red squirrels remain in the UK, mostly in Scotland
Grey squirrels carry squirrelpox virus to which red squirrels have no immunity
Squirrelpox causes painful ulcerating lesions and is invariably fatal in red squirrels
Red squirrels were once abundant throughout the British Isles
Active conservation includes grey squirrel control and captive insurance populations

Welfare Considerations

Squirrelpox disease causes severe animal suffering: infected red squirrels develop painful skin lesions, ocular discharge, and progressive debilitation before death, typically within two weeks of infection. This makes disease prevention a major animal welfare as well as conservation priority. Grey squirrel control to protect red squirrel refugia raises its own welfare questions about the most humane control methods. The precarious status of red squirrel populations means individual welfare and population survival are intimately linked, making conservation interventions directly beneficial to animal welfare outcomes.

What You Can Do

Support red squirrel conservation charities and local red squirrel groups
Participate in red squirrel monitoring schemes in areas where they persist
Report any red squirrels seen with signs of squirrelpox to local wildlife groups
Understand that grey squirrel control in red squirrel refugia serves both conservation and welfare goals