These much-loved creatures have struggled to populate in Northern Ireland due to grey squirrels, who have forced them out of their home territory. Grey squirrels also carry a lethal virus that can be fatal to red squirrels.
Belfast Zoo approached DIO and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency in 2015 to ask for their support in a specialist programme to increase the population of red squirrels across forests in Northern Ireland. Since then, we’ve been working closely together to breed and release red squirrels and last year the zoo released 30 red squirrels into the wilderness across six different sites.
Ballykinler was chosen as it has numerous wooded areas which divide the firing ranges to prevent troops accidentally straying into potentially dangerous areas, so there are plenty of trees for the squirrels. Because the woods divide the ranges, they are in the safety buffer between, so they are perfectly safe. Ballykinler has water on three sides and there are no grey squirrels or pine martens here, which means the area is safe for the red squirrels.
DIO plays a vital role in protecting and increasing the population of red squirrels in Northern Ireland and this is a great example of how we work closely together to protect and preserve endangered species. In future, we’re hoping to continue releasing red squirrels into the wild and expand the programme by bringing more organisations on board. We hope to identify new, suitable release sites to build upon the six that we have today, in the hope that this iconic native species can thrive again.
Leave a comment