27 October 2016
Helsinki has seen a boom in the
population of Siberian flying squirrels in the past two years, according to
researchers.
The city's Environment Centre
says that the number of flying squirrel habitats - where evidence of their
activity has been spotted - has more than tripled in Helsinki's northwest, from
a dozen during the last count, to 39 this year. The biggest increase has been
in city's wooded Central Park, where there are now 25 habitats, compared to
just six in 2014, the Yle
public broadcaster reports. The squirrels are protected by law
nationwide in Finland, where the main threat comes from habitat destruction.
"It's clear that after many
decades of absence the flying squirrel has returned in droves to the
capital," says Esa Nikunen, the centre's director. The animals are
notoriously hard to spot, and researchers track them by looking for their
droppings. The squirrels need
mixed forests to thrive, and Mr Nikunen tells Yle that they've
benefited from the careful management of Helsinki's woods.
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