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Squirrels

SQUIRRELS

I have seen a red squirrel, should I report it?

We are most fortunate to have red squirrels living on the Island. They are frequent and widespread here but have been lost from virtually all of mainland England, most of Wales and large areas of Scotland. You can send the details to the Ecology Service.

(Left – red squirrel)

I have seen a grey squirrel on the Island, should I report it?

Grey squirrels (right) are not native to this country and they are not established on the Island. They are classified as a pest species and it is illegal to release them. If grey squirrels were to become established here, we can be certain that our red squirrels would eventually be lost. The Isle of Wight Red Squirrel Partnership is anxious to ensure that the Island remains free of grey squirrels. It is important that you send the details to the Ecology Service. We will pass them on the Wight Squirrel Project who will phone you back to ask for more details.

What should I do if I know red squirrels are present on a development site?

We are fortunate in that red squirrels are widespread on the Island and are frequent visitors to gardens. Red squirrels are fully protected under Schedules 5 and 6 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. This means that they must not be intentionally killed or injured and any active dreys (nest sites) should not be interfered with. However, the law cannot be used to protect a group of trees which are visited by squirrels. Consequently, in the majority of instances, the legislation designed to protect red squirrels will not help in protecting an area from development.

However, red squirrels may be a material consideration in a planning application in certain situations. These situations as follows:

An area of woodland where squirrels breed. Woodlands are core areas for red squirrels and it is important that key woodlands are protected, because this is where the majority of squirrels live and breed.
A corridor of trees through which squirrels move. Squirrels will readily move through any line of trees but a tree corridor is more important because it serves to link one area where squirrels live naturally to another. Consequently, a line of trees which bring squirrels into a garden or up to a busy road is less useful than one which links to another woodland block.
A tree which it can be proven contains a squirrel drey. Under these circumstances, the trees surrounding the one containing a drey could be equally important.

Under any of these circumstances, it may be appropriate to apply a planning condition to protect the tree, or trees, from development.

If trees are being felled in an area for which planning consent is not currently being sought, provided any other consents are forthcoming (felling licence or TPO consent, if appropriate) then no action can be taken to protect red squirrels unless trees containing active dreys are to be felled. Under these circumstances, the police are the only people who can take action and you should report the instance to a police wildlife liaison officer. It is important that you have strong evidence to support your accusation that trees containing dreys could be affected.

How can I encourage red squirrels to visit my garden?