The Red Squirrel is the UK’s only native squirrel, once widespread but now confined to a handful of protected landscapes. Its decline has been gradual yet profound, making any encounter feel remarkable.
In early March, a visit to the Yorkshire Dales National Park rewarded me with such a moment. A morning spent near the historic market town of Hawes revealed a small but thriving population of these charismatic little creatures, moving lightly through conifer woodland with a confidence that felt both fleeting and rare.
Photographing the Red Squirrel
A flash of russet fur, a pause on moss-covered stone, the delicate grip of a paw around a nut. In the soft light filtering through the trees, their presence feels almost emblematic of the British woodland itself.
At Snaizeholme Red Squirrel Trail, within the Widdale Red Squirrel Reserve, visitors are given a chance to witness these animals in their natural habitat. Sightings are never guaranteed, which only adds to the sense of privilege when one appears. With patience, and a little luck, red squirrels emerge into clearings, drawn to feeders set among the trees.
Easily recognised by their reddish-brown coats, pale undersides and distinctive ear tufts, red squirrels are smaller and more delicate than their grey counterparts. Their diet is varied but largely herbivorous, favouring seeds, nuts, fungi and berries gathered across the forest floor.
Their story, however, is inseparable from that of the Eastern Grey Squirrel. Introduced from North America in the 19th century, grey squirrels have steadily outcompeted the native reds. Larger and more adaptable, they consume food sources more efficiently and occupy habitats with ease. More critically, they carry squirrelpox, a virus harmless to them but devastating to red squirrel populations.
For this reason, the two species cannot coexist in the same environment. Conservation efforts led by organisations such as the Red Squirrel Trust and The Wildlife Trusts are vital. Their work ranges from habitat protection and population monitoring to the careful management of grey squirrel numbers in vulnerable areas.
Today, red squirrels survive in scattered strongholds across the UK. Alongside northern England, they persist on the Isle of Wight, parts of Scotland and in carefully protected areas of Wales.
To spend time among them is to witness something increasingly rare. Not just a species, but a quiet continuity of landscape and life that has endured against the odds.
