SquirrelWeb

Several cases of a strain of leprosy bacteria were found in red squirrels in Scotland in 2014 and it may have been present in squirrel populations for a long time. Leprosy has also been identified in squirrels from the Isle of Wight, and Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour off the south coast of England. Brownsea Island is owned by the National Trust and Dorset Wildlife Trust and holds about 200 red squirrels. Studies on the island to get a better understanding of the disease and how to manage it are about to start under the direction  of Professor Anna Meredith of the University of Edinburgh. Although there is “negligible risk” to the public from the disease, visitors to the island are advised not to touch any wild animals and birds and maintain good hygiene practices such as hand washing. (BBC News, BT, ITV, Independent, The Guardian).

The Manx Government is running a public consultation until 27 April 2016 on whether red squirrels should be released onto the island. Red squirrels have never been native to the island and if the decision to release is ‘yes’, then a licence under the Wildlife Act 1990 would be required.  Details can be found on the Official Isle of Man Government website. Views differ as to whether it would be a good idea or not – see BBC News 1, BBC News 2, Rosie Bowman Wildlife Article, IOM Today, The Countryside Restoration Trust.

A new Caledonian Forest Wildlife Project in Scotland involving Trees for Life and the Highland Foundation for Wildlife plans to translocate red squirrels from thriving populations in Moray and Inverness to 10 new locations – these sites still to be confirmed. The Project will be funded by a grant of £61,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (see BBC News). Elsewhere in Scotland (e.g. Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire, and the north-east of Scotland), numbers of red squirrels are said to be increasing (see The Scotsman), but the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Project (also see SNH website) indicate that conservation work will be needed for many years to secure the future of the iconic species in Scotland.

A new book on the ecology, conservation and management of red squirrels has recently been published by the European Squirrel Initiative: Shuttleworth, C., Lurz, P., & Hayward, M. (2015) Red Squirrels: Ecology, Conservation & Management in Europe, 328 pp. European Squirrel Initiative, Woodbridge, Suffolk UK. Full details of the contents of the book can be found on the Publications page. Requests for copies of the book should be sent to ESI.

A recent article in The Washington Post describes a species of ground squirrel in Borneo that jumps on unsuspecting muntjac deer and rips open its jugular vein. After the deer has bled out, the squirrel apparently feeds on its heart, stomach and liver, but not the flesh. The story concerns the antics of the tufted ground squirrel (Reithrosciurus macrotis) and is based on a paper entitled Tall tales of a tropical squirrel by Emily Meijaard, Rona Dennis &  Erik Meijaard, published in Taprobanica: The Journal of Asian Biodiversity. In addition to its rumoured carnivorous habits and other squirrels that are said to actively hunt birds and animals, the authors consider the affinity of the tufted ground squirrel and the possible functions of its very large, bushy tail.

The Italian newspaper La Zampa – La Stampa (Turin) have published an interesting article saying that both France and Switzerland have warned Italy that there will be a diplomatic ‘war’ if they  find a single grey squirrel in their territory. Time will tell!

The debate about whether grey squirrels should be controlled has recently come into focus again on the BBC’s Breakfast TV programme. Grey squirrels are already controlled to minimise damage to trees and for red squirrel conservation but apparently  the UK Government is considering whether more needs to be done. The arguments for and against are emotive and do not appear to have changed over the years.

A new disease threat has recently been identified in red squirrels from Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland (BBC Scotland). Six animals have been found infected with a bacteria similar to Mycobacterium lepromatosis which causes leprosy. Signs of the disease are swollen nose, eyelids, ears and feet. Prof Anna Meredith from the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh and colleagues are trying to find out more about this little understood, potentially fatal condition. Members of the public who find dead red squirrels in Scotland can send them to the Veterinary Pathology Unit, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh. Further details of where to send carcasses found in England and Wales as well as Scotland, and postage and packaging, can be found towards the bottom of this web page. Members of the public are advised to follow basic hygiene rules when handling dead animals.

Representatives from more than 50 parties interested in squirrels met at Dumfries House, Ayrshire, Scotland on 2nd May to discuss a new squirrel accord to conserve red squirrels. HRH Prince Charles attended during the afternoon. Speakers included The Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,  Mr Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Mr Simon Jones, Head of Major Projects, Scottish Wildlife Trust who talked about Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels, and Mr Crispin Thorn, Chair, Red Squirrels Northern England Project Management Group, who talked about Red Squirrels Northern England – Coordinating Red Squirrel Conservation. Controlling grey squirrels is a key action in the drive to conserve red squirrels and this has brought criticism from some quarters (see Chris Packham – Ecological cleansing and article by Ocsar Rickett in the Guardian).

Red squirrels became extinct in Portugal in the 16th century, probably as a result of hunting and deforestation. Now, recent news reports (Portuguese American Journal, The Portugal News Online) indicate that it is making a return. Red squirrels moved across from northwest Spain in the 1980s and sightings suggest it has now reached as far south as the River Tagus. Rita Gomes Rocha (University of Aveiro) is reported as saying, “The Red Squirrel in Portugal Project aims to understand the expansion of the red squirrel in the country, what factors influence that expansion and its behaviour patterns”.