In the last half of 2021, we reached a milestone for the mid-Wales Red Squirrel Project. Having partnered with Swansea University to undergo DNA analysis of red squirrels in mid-Wales, early results revealed an exciting discovery.

Previous work had confirmed five different haplotypes present in mid-Wales. So far, we have already confirmed that the unique mid-Wales haplotype is still present in the population, but our most recent results show we have picked up another haplotype, which looks to be different again to all known haplotypes.

We're now entering stage three of the project and we are finally seeing positive results with more and more sightings of red squirrels in mid-Wales. These results are extremely positive for this population and not only tell us that red squirrels in mid-Wales have a high level of genetic diversity, but also that our conservation work and efforts are more likely to be successful. This is because populations that have a diverse gene pool are able to adapt easier to changing environments.

A HUGE thank you for your donations so far. Please help us reach our target!