Prince Charles on the lookout for Wildwood’s Squirrels

RIGHT: Photo by Les Willis

Prince Charles spent yesterday spotting Wildwood Trust’s Red Squirrels, which have been released to the island of Anglesey.

The Prince, who is Patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, went on a special trip to observe the squirrels which were born and raised at the Wildwood, Woodland Discovery Park, near Canterbury.

Visitors to Wildwood can see this year’s babies, which are also destined to be released to the island later in the year. Visitors are advised to come promptly at 10.00am as squirrels like a long nap during lunchtime, especially during sunny weather.

The new squirrel babies, once grown up, will be transported to join their cousins on Anglesey to live wild and free, helping form a buffer population and safeguard the species against national extinction. The project is managed my ‘The Friends of the Anglesey Red Squirrels’ which was set up in 1999 by Anglesey residents who wished to assist in the conservation of the islands small red squirrel population.

Red squirrels went extinct in Kent in the 1960's and many of us can remember them from our childhood. How easy it is for people to forget that Kent once teemed with these beautiful acrobats of the trees.

Peter Smith, Wildwood Trust's Chief Executive said:

“It is great that the Prince has taken time to come and see the results of our hard work. Wildwood’s volunteers and animal keepers spend a lot of time making sure our breeding groups has everything they need to produce as many baby squirrels as we can for this important project”

"Red squirrels are going to continue to decline towards extinction unless urgent action is taken. But it's not yet too late. If we can help restore areas of woodland to a native state and make a concerted effort, we might just be able to tip the balance back in the red squirrel's favour."

Wildwood Trust, as a charity, is committed to restoring our native and once native species and will continue to champion the restoration of natural woodlands."

Red Squirrels are just some of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood Discovery Park near Canterbury. For more information visit our website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 0871 7820081.

Wildwood's 'Wildlife Conservation Park' is an ideal day out for all the family where you can come 'nose to nose' with British Wildlife. Wildwood offers its members and visitors a truly inspirational way to learn about the natural history of Britain by actually seeing the wildlife that once lived here, like the wolf, beaver, red squirrel, wild boar and many more.

Wildwood is situated close to Canterbury, just off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

Recognition:

Fur colour variable from bright ginger through to red and dark brown or black tinged with grey in winter; larger ear tufts in mid-winter which disappear by the summer; bushy tail which bleaches white by late summer in some individuals.
Head/body length 180-240mm, tail about 175mm.
Weight: juveniles 100-150g; adults up to 350g.

General Ecology:

This is the only squirrel which is native to Britain. It is active during the daytime, though in summer it may rest for an hour or two around mid-day. Squirrel nests, or dreys, are constructed of twigs in a tree fork, or hollow or above a whorl of branches close to the stem of a conifer. They are lined with soft hair, moss and dried grass. Several squirrels may share the same drey, or use the same drey on different days.

Red squirrels spend about three-quarters of their active time above ground in trees and shrubs. Their main foods are tree seeds, such as hazel nuts and seeds from conifer cones. They also eat tree flowers and shoots, mushrooms and fungi from under tree bark. Red squirrels often suffer periods of food shortage especially during July. Red squirrels are at home in conifer forests and broadleaved woodland. The distribution of red squirrels has declined drastically in the last 60 years and they are now extinct in southern England except for a few on the Isle of Wight and two small islands in Poole Harbour. Elsewhere they are confined to rather isolated populations in Wales and to only four places in central England: Thetford Chase (East Anglia), Cannock Chase (Staffordshire), Hope Forest (Derbyshire) and around Formby in Merseyside. Red squirrels are still widespread in the North of England and Scotland, but even here their range is contracting.

Breeding can begin in mid-winter and continue through the summer, depending on the weather and how much food is available. Mating chases occur where several males follow a female who is ready to mate. During chases squirrels make spectacular leaps through the tree canopy and spiral up and down tree trunks. Females have one or two litters a year, usually of about 2-3 young. Juveniles are weaned at around 10 weeks, but do not breed until they are one year old. Red squirrels in favourable habitat can live at a population density of one squirrel per hectare of woodland. Often densities are lower than this. They survive for up to six years in the wild.

Conservation:

Red squirrels are protected by law, and may not be intentionally trapped, killed or kept, or have their dreys disturbed except under licence from Natural England (NE), the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) or Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

Historically, red squirrel populations in Britain have fluctuated widely, the species disappearing from many areas at times and re-colonising at a later date. However, in the 1920s red squirrels began to be replaced by grey squirrels introduced to about 30 sites from eastern North America, between 1876 and 1929. Red squirrels seem unable to survive in the presence of greys, but the reasons for this are not fully understood. There is no evidence that grey squirrels aggressively chase out red squirrels, or that grey squirrels brought a disease with them from America which affects red squirrels. The key as to why grey have replaced red squirrels seems to be their ability to compete for food in different types of habitat. Red squirrels live in all types of woodland habitats from pure broadleaf, to mixed broadleaf and conifer, to pure conifer. However it is believed they prefer pure conifer forests because they can forage in them more efficiently and survive in them better than in broadleaf forest.

It is believed that the only real way to ensure the continued presence of red squirrels in an area is, if possible, to keep grey squirrels out, or, at least to keep their number low. This may be achieved by habitat management to alter the tree species composition and age structure of woodland to suit red but not grey squirrels. Special food hoppers which provide food for red squirrels but not the heavier grey squirrels, can help to tip the balance in favour of red squirrels. Re-introductions to large pine forests may be an important conservation tactic, although further research into the health and welfare of red squirrels during captivity and all phases of a reintroduction programme is needed.

Populations:

Red Squirrels estimated 161,000 (10,000 Wales, 30,000 England & 121,000 Scotland)

Grey Squirrels estimated 2,250,000 ( of which 2,000,000 are in England)

Greys outnumber reds 66:1