Five charitable, government and landowning bodies in Scotland have united in a bid to secure the future of the iconic Red Squirrel.
It is the UK’s only native squirrel and numbers have declined rapidly since the introduction of Grey Squirrels from North America in the 19th Century.
Since 1952, 95 per cent of Reds in England and Wales have been wiped out, and today 75 per cent of the UK’s remaining population is found in Scotland.
However, Greys still threaten the existence of the native Reds because they transmit the deadly squirrelpox virus, although they are largely immune.
The project aims to continue to prevent the spread northwards of Grey Squirrels and squirrelpox via a programme of squirrel control in a zone running coast to coast along the Highland Boundary Fault.
It will also define and map priority areas for Red Squirrel conservation in south Scotland, and co-ordinate the control required of the Greys to sustain a healthy red population.
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