About 20 squirrels will be introduced in Sutherland Park in northeast Scotland as part of a larger-scale red squirrel reintroduction project, as per a report by stv.tv.
Forests in northeast Scotland used to be the natural habitat of red squirrels.
However, due to the fact that over time the forests have formed separate “islands”, squirrels that move only from tree to tree and cannot cross large open spaces are not able to make their way back to the forests of the Highlands.
Environmentalists have been deeply concerned about the matter since 2016, when the population of red squirrels began to decline markedly, in particular due to the migration of their gray counterparts from North America. Gray squirrels gradually replaced redheads from their habitat.
In addition, gray rodents carry dangerous viruses which damaged badly the population of red squirrels causing the reduction in number of species present in the area.
The squirrels will be taken to Sutherland Park from the existing populations in Inverness-shire and Moray where they will be able to safely breed in a new place. First animals had already been introduced in the woods of Highlands.
Animals will be released in the Ledmore and Migdale Woods near the village of Spinningdale on the shore of Dornoch Firth by the end of November, according to the conservation charities Trees For Life and Woodland Trust Scotland.
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