Everybody loves red squirrels. But the UK’s ever-declining population of the cute creatures has long been on the wane.

The main reason for their gradual disappearance has been put down to their rival – the grey squirrel.

But the battle between the two species has turned into a no contest, with estimates putting the grey population at about 10 million, while the native red languishes dangerously about the 150,000 mark.

Fans of the reds fear that if action is not taken soon then the much-loved creature might be a permanent casualty of the 150-year war with greys.

Grey squirrels, a native of North America, were introduced to the UK by aristocratic landowners and have flourished ever since.

Efforts to try and cull them have been in place not only because, as the bigger and stronger species, they take food away from their red counterparts, but it is also reported that they wreak havoc on woodlands where they prey on birds’ eggs and nestlings and cause £40m of damage to oak, beech and other trees each year.

They also carry a virus that attacks red squirrels but they themselves are immune to.

No one single solution has proved to be completely successful in eradicating the problem, but scientists have now come up with a potential way to help.

Next month the Country Land and Business Association (CLBA) will host a scientific conference at its London HQ to look at the potential for deploying pine martens against the grey, based partly on research by Aberdeen University’s Dr Emma Sheehy.

Pine martens, a member of the weasel family that’s about the same size as a cat, used to be a common feature across the UK but were thought to be extinct after being targeted by gamekeepers. But recent discoveries have proven that they are still alive and some believe they could be the key in helping fend of grey squirrels.

Their diet includes fruit, berries, birds’ eggs, mice and voles and occasionally squirrels.

Despite squirrels being among their favoured diet, it is accepted that they pose less risk to reds than greys. 

One theory is that reds escape by way of tree branches and martens are too heavy to be able to reach them in that position. Greys are around twice as heavy as reds so this gives them less escape options.

Dr Sheehy, a mammal ecologist, has looked in detail at the situation in Ireland, where a growing pine marten population appears to have come at the same time as a decline in grey squirrels. So

research is underway as to whether this approach can work in the UK.

She says: “In Ireland, pine marten populations fell until the 1970s, when they were protected. Since then they have expanded considerably, moving back into the midlands of Ireland.

“As they have repopulated central Ireland, the grey squirrel population has declined and the reds have come back.

“Our hypothesis is that pine martens drive out greys, so, as the martens get more abundant, the grey squirrel population declines.

“We don’t know if this is due the martens eating greys or just scaring them away but it points to a new solution for protecting red squirrels.”

The research comes as the EU is about to order member states to target greys to halt their expansion.

Doubts over effectiveness in Cumbria


Julie BaileyOne of the key areas where experts feel that pine martens could be used in the fight to halt grey squirrel expansion is in the Scottish Borders.

According to research, the weasel-type animals have been moving into the area in the last few years.

Although numbers of reds are generally low, this area's red population appears to be healthier than most and pine martens could further make the north flourish.

Julie Bailey, from the Penrith and District Red Squirrel Group, says: "It's actually pretty fantastic at the moment, currently in Cumbria and Northumbria there are about 15,000 red squirrels.

"Some people seem to think they're only in Scotland. But we've got about 40 different groups in that region helping to protect them. The Penrith group alone looks after 600 square miles."

She believes that it is crucial that action is taken to help red squirrels reassert themselves in the countryside, but isn't fully convinced that introducing pine martens alone will solve the problems.

"I don't think there's enough substantial or significant evidence that shows that pine martens would help our population. But it will be interesting to see how it all comes to fruition," she adds.

"It seems like a great idea but we don't seem to have any statistical evidence to show that it will work in our part of the world. The problem is down to the sheer volume of grey squirrels.

"Even with vaccinations and the pine martens we still need to be culling them by trapping and shooting them.

"It appears that it worked in Ireland and it is a great idea but there's not enough evidence at this stage. It's not the sole answer to red squirrel protection. The answer is to protect them by what we're currently doing. By using feeders, traps and guns."