Conservationists have hailed the “super-exciting” success of a rare red squirrel colony thriving in a North Yorkshire tree plantation. The discovery, made earlier this year, has sparked renewed optimism for one of England’s most threatened native species.
The colony was first identified in January within a sitka spruce plantation in the western Yorkshire Dales by Julie Bailey of the UK Squirrel Accord (UKSA), a coalition of forestry and conservation organisations. Since then, volunteers, conservationists, and local landowners have collaborated to monitor and protect the growing population.
Ms Bailey confirmed that 16 red squirrels had now been recorded in the area. “I’m very encouraged by the squirrels’ persistence and breeding success,” she said. “We’re now finding evidence of new squirrels in all directions from the plantation — some as far as six miles away.”
The Yorkshire Dales Red Squirrel Alliance, formed earlier this year, has rapidly expanded to include more than 40 active volunteers. Their work involves maintaining feeding stations where natural food is limited, tracking squirrel movements, and managing the population of invasive grey squirrels, which threaten the survival of reds through competition and disease.
Bailey emphasised the importance of public involvement in supporting conservation efforts. “When people are walking in woodlands and spot a squirrel, it’s vital they report the sighting,” she explained. “It helps us track population densities and stay vigilant about any greys.”
However, she cautioned against hand-feeding wild squirrels. “It’s absolutely essential that people don’t encourage the hand feeding of squirrels. It makes them tame and increases the risk of disease transmission,” she warned.
There are believed to be fewer than 40,000 red squirrels remaining in England, a dramatic decline from their once widespread population. The species has been pushed to the brink of extinction by the spread of non-native grey squirrels, introduced from North America in the 19th century.
Encouragingly, sightings of red squirrels have now been reported near the West Yorkshire border. The UKSA is urging the creation of new local alliances to monitor expanding populations and secure access to more woodland areas for tracking.
“We just want red squirrels everywhere in the natural environment — healthy, wild, and free,” Bailey said. “The more land access we have, the more squirrel range and sightings we can document.”
Preliminary surveys suggest that the colony is continuing to expand, with activity recorded along the plantation’s northern boundary. Conservationists believe this progress could become a model for future red squirrel recovery programmes across the UK.
For the UK’s beloved native species, this small but thriving colony in North Yorkshire represents a big leap forward in the fight for survival.
