Red Squirrel Appeal

Red Squirrel Appeal

Sadly red squirrel numbers in the UK have fallen from around 3.5 million in the 1870s to just 120,000 today. This is why we're working hard to help red squirrels and improve their habitat in mid-Wales.

As part of the Mid Wales Red Squirrel Partnership we're currently undertaking vital research for improving conditions for red squirrels. Research evidence helps us to better understand where our conservation efforts need to be focused.

To continue to stage 3 of the project, we need to raise £10,000 to fund work on the ground of the next important years so that we can:

  • Continue to maintain and enhance habitats for red squirrels.
  • Work to restore some key areas that could be improved to make them more suitable for red squirrels.
  • Work towards supporting the population, possibly with a reintroduction programme if the results of our current work show the population is declining.
  • Work to preserve the local adaptations of the unique mid-Wales haplotype.

Research from the project so far!

Previous work has confirmed five different haplotypes present in mid-Wales. Haplotype is a genetic marker - a DNA sequence that can help us to understand the genetic makeup and ancestry of an animal. Put simply, haplotype is a close-knit group of genes that an offspring inherits from one parent.

So far, we have already confirmed that the unique mid-Wales haplotype is still present in the population, and early results show we have picked up another haplotype, which looks to be different again to all known haplotypes.

What does this mean for Red Squirrels and their conservation?

Firstly, it means that the work our team are doing to help maintain and improve the habitat for red squirrels in mid-Wales is incredibly important. This evidence also tells us that the red squirrels in mid-Wales have a high level of genetic diversity. This means that our conservation work and efforts are more likely to be successful because having a diverse gene pool helps populations adapt to changing environments.

With more variation, it is more likely that some red squirrels in mid-Wales will have variations in their genes that are suited to the environment. These individuals are also more likely to survive and produce babies that will also have these beneficial genes. All music to the ears of the project staff and volunteers! Our fingers are crossed that we have some new kits in mid-Wales come spring next year.

The Wildlife Trust’s Red Squirrel Officer, Sarah Kay-Purdon works with a team of dedicated volunteers to track down and monitor red squirrels in mid-Wales. Sarah said:
“It’s really good news that we’ve confirmed the mid-Wales haplotype is still present, and possibly have found another. We’re really excited to see the rest of the results and find out the family tree of our squirrels” she said “it’s now more important than ever to have the next steps planned. We need to be able to act on the results.”

Filmed by Madison Bowden-Parry