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21st June 2010
SCOTLAND’S RED SQUIRRELS ARE PLACED UNDER FURTHER THREAT
The threat to Scotland’s red squirrels has increased further as Squirrel Pox infected grey squirrels move closer to the Scottish border. A recent outbreak of squirrelpox in the Cornhill-on-Tweed area of Northumberland has raised serious concerns about Scotland’s red squirrel population. As unaffected carriers of the virus, grey squirrels transfer squirrelpox to red squirrels, usually killing them within two weeks.
Miles Barne, Chairman of the European Squirrel Initiative (ESI) said that “the recent discovery of these infected greys so far north confirms that squirrelpox is now a serious threat to the eastern flank of the red squirrel priority zone in southern Scotland”.
“ESI’s worry is that grey squirrels have essentially outflanked the red priority zone, and are consistently working their way further north. This migration of infected grey squirrels calls for an urgent reassessment of the red priority zone. An extension of this zone would enable more landowners to apply for SRDP support and tackle this threat more effectively” he added.
ESI urges landowners adjacent to the red squirrel zone to apply for funding and support from the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) as soon as possible. Immediate applications submitted to the SRDP for funding will be granted next year.
“With current resources being put under severe pressure, it is hoped that the Forestry Commission will intensify its support of landowners and organisations that are fighting this deadly threat” added Mr Barne.
ENDS
