Independent Petition - Save Our Red Squirrels
https://www.change.org/p/save-our-red-squirrels-enforce-protections-prioritise-habitat-in-uk-woodlands?recruiter=78251626&recruited_by_id=59c3dfca-f63b-40ac-b20a-cd277e270924&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=starter_onboarding_share_personal&utm_medium=copylink&utm_content=cl_sharecopy_490687496_en-GB%3A9&fbclid=IwY2xjawMFOpVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHnJMQLEgwP_05kLbUdE7lT6yoyDgtobX_F3HdmNWHRtvUB_vlc9yWBZN1lyQ_aem_vJF2GPaUtVHbSBazAN3t2g
Clarifying Squirrel Numbers
The petition above is not linked to our group but was shared on our Facebook and has been getting great responses — wonderful to see!
It mentioned figures on grey and red squirrel populations that sparked some discussion within our team. If you see those numbers and are surprised, you’re not alone.
The petition states that according to DEFRA data, grey squirrels outnumber reds in Cumbria by 17.3% and in Northumberland by 25%. On paper, that doesn’t sound like a huge gap — it’s very different from what we see in the Keswick area and, we suspect, from what similar groups across Cumbria and Northumberland experience. Here, we’re working hard to manage large grey populations to protect our much smaller red communities.
So how do you count squirrels? The short answer: with difficulty! Numbers vary depending on the source, the counting method, and whether there’s been a complete and accurate survey — which is rare. Many groups, ours included, are run entirely by volunteers with limited resources. Tracking every squirrel isn’t always possible, and repeat sightings of the same animal can skew figures.
Each spring, a survey records where reds, greys, or both are spotted, using the same locations each year for comparison. This survey focuses on presence, not numbers, so it’s not a headcount. The 17.3% and 25% figures from the petition look to come from the 2024 survey, which reflects the number of sites visited by each species — not the total number of squirrels.
In our area, we often see only small groups of red squirrels, while greys are present in high numbers. Based on local feedback, the proportion of greys to reds here is far greater than the small gap those percentages suggest.
For context, older national estimates (though likely outdated) still give a useful sense of scale: over 3 million grey squirrels in the UK compared to just 287,000 reds. Greys reproduce more quickly, their young are more resilient, and they aren’t harmed by the squirrelpox virus they often carry - a virus that is fatal to reds. This means greys are likely still increasing while reds face ongoing threats.
It’s a complex picture, but we hope this helps clarify the scale of the challenge. Thank you for continuing to support our work to protect red squirrels.