In the battle of the squirrels the invading greys are scoring a devastating victory over Britain’s homegrown red bushy tailed nut hoarders.
But the native reds are fighting back – with a little help from a powerful ally.
Glen Graham is the National Trust’s first red squirrel ranger and he has helped the population at Wallington Hall in Northumberland bounce back from almost zero to 170 today.
Meanwhile the greys who almost wiped out the red population in the area in 2011 by bringing a deadly squirrel pox, have all left.
Grey squirrels live in much bigger numbers in woods and can eat all the food before reds can get it.
The former policy neighbourhood investigating officer has done this by keeping a close tab on the red squirrels, chasing off predators and managing rations. He is up at the crack of dawn keeping a beady eye out for greys and making sure they can’t get a foothold.
“Red squirrels belong in the British Isles, but grey squirrels were brought here many years ago when people did not realise the damage they would cause,” he said. “Because of this, red squirrels are now quite rare and have been lost from most of the country. Grey squirrels live in much bigger numbers in woods and can eat all the food before reds can get it. They also cause trees a lot of damage. Worst of all, they carry a disease which doesn’t hurt them but causes red squirrels to die.”
He added: “The constant presence of rangers, alongside the support of visitors and volunteers, is crucial to safeguarding red squirrel populations.
“Looking to the future, contraceptive methods and new technologies could provide long-term solutions, but in the meantime we need public buy in to protect one of Britain’s best loved species.”
There are only 15,000 red squirrels left in England, and tomorrow marks the start of Red Squirrel Awareness Week.
“The constant presence of rangers, alongside the support of visitors and volunteers, is crucial to safeguarding red squirrel populations.
David Bullock, head of nature conservation at the National Trust, said: “Red squirrels are facing a constant battle and those National Trust sites where they can be still found are increasingly important.
“We are grateful to and rely on our dedicated rangers, the support of volunteers and partnerships with other environmental organisations to make sure the red squirrel has a future in the UK.”