Squirrel pox claims its first victim in the Scottish Highlands: Heartbreaking image shows a red squirrel with telltale sores around its eyes and mouth – as experts warn, the last remaining populations could soon be wiped out

Science
By William
  • A red squirrel has been found dead from the disease in the Highlands
  • The squirrel showed the characteristic features of the disease, including sores and scabs

By Colin Fernandez Environment Editor for The Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

Britain’s last remaining populations of red squirrels are facing death from the disease that has ravaged their cousins ​​in the rest of the country.

Squirrelpox has eliminated the majority of red squirrels in Britain, while populations in the north of Scotland persist.

But now this population is facing decimation as a red squirrel has been found killed by the disease in the Highlands.

The squirrel showed the characteristic features of the disease, including sores and scabs around the eyes and mouth.

Liam Wilson from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies said: ‘This is a worrying development for red squirrels in Scotland as this case north of the Central Belt could be the prelude to the spread of squirrel pox both locally and further afield. the north, although More research work is needed to fully assess this risk.’

A red squirrel has been found dead from the disease in the Highlands. The squirrel showed the characteristic features of the disease, including sores and scabs around the eyes and mouth

What is squirrel pox?

Between 40 and 60 percent of gray squirrels in Britain carry squirrel pox.

The virus is completely harmless to the invasive grays, which were introduced to Britain from America in 1876.

Squirrel pox is partly responsible for a population explosion of more than three million gray squirrels in Britain, while only 30,000 of their red cousins ​​remain in England, 120,000 in Scotland and around 1,500 in Wales.

The organization Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels said the first identified death of a red squirrel from the dreaded squirrelpox virus in Dunfermline could have ‘serious consequences for red squirrel populations in the area’.

Although fatal to red squirrels, squirrel pox does not affect gray squirrels that carry the disease.

The disease is usually fatal within two weeks and an outbreak can cause the local population to collapse.

As a result, it is one of the main factors in the loss of red squirrels across Britain.

The UK Squirrel Accord estimates that there are only 287,000 red squirrels left in Britain, with 75 percent of them in Scotland – down from 2.5 million 100 years ago.

By comparison, there are still an estimated 2.7 million gray squirrels.

Nicole Still, Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Scottish Red Squirrel Rescue Program Manager, said: ‘We are extremely concerned by this latest news.’

Squirrel pox has eliminated the majority of red squirrels in Britain, while populations in northern Scotland persist

Squirrel pox has eliminated the majority of red squirrels in Britain, while populations in northern Scotland persist

The first recorded outbreak of squirrel pox in Scotland occurred in 2007 near Lockerbie.

Further south the disease has ravaged populations and ‘poses a major threat to Scotland’s more northerly red squirrels’.

Research shows that when squirrel pox are present, grays can replace red populations about twenty times faster than through competition alone.

But keeping gray squirrel numbers low will give red squirrels enough time to repopulate an area after a major decline.

HOW INVASIVE GRAY SQUIRREL CAN KILL RED SQUIRREL

Red squirrels are native to Great Britain and spend most of their time in trees.

However, gray squirrels were introduced to Britain from North America in the late 19th century.

Initially introduced as an ornamental species, they soon spread across the UK and other European countries such as Italy.

Gray squirrels carry a disease called squirrel parapoxvirus, which does not appear to affect their health but often kills red squirrels.

Gray squirrels are more likely to eat green acorns and so will decimate the food source before the red squirrels get to them.

Red acorns cannot digest mature acorns, so they can only eat green acorns.

When red squirrels are pressured, they will not breed as often, which has added to the gray squirrel’s initial problem.

Another major factor in their decline is the loss of forest over the past century, but road traffic and predators all pose a threat as well.

It is currently estimated that there are only 15,000 red squirrels left in Britain.

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