Red Squirrels Return to Hawick

Red Squirrels Return To Hawick! Red squirrels have returned to Hawick in the Scottish Borders. Guests at the Mansefield House Hotel have been seeing red squirrels again for the first time in 20 years. Residents in nearby areas have also noticed the return of red squirrels.

The Red Squirrels in South Scotland project’s (RSSS) grey squirrel control officers have been conducting intensive daily control in the grounds of the hotel and surrounding area for about 2 years now and are starting to move closer to the centre of Hawick itself. The return of red squirrels is a wonderful event, a real shot in the arm for us as it shows just how quickly red squirrels can make a come-back if the pressure from grey squirrels is reduced. It is our hope that with enough support from the residents of Hawick and surrounding land owners we will once again see red squirrels in the parks and gardens of the town within a year.

Red squirrels are also present on properties around Hawick and all these properties are controlling greys. The manager of Hoscote Estate on the edge of Craik Forest has been hugely supportive of our efforts and has been controlling grey squirrels on the property for some time. Three years ago staff and guests at Hoscote House hardly ever saw a red, now red squirrels are seen around the estate and main house throughout the day.

The control of grey squirrels and the Squirrelpox virus they carry is of paramount importance in our efforts to save Scotland’s red squirrels. Since August 2008 RSSS have been recruiting landowners on to the new Scottish Rural Development Program (SRDP) and gaining them funding to conduct grey squirrel control on their properties. We now have a contiguous control network of 26 land holdings, all of them funded and working along the grey squirrel and squirrelpox virus incursion routes to safeguard our red squirrels. The Squirrelpox virus which is carried by grey squirrels migrating north into Scotland from England is the single biggest threat to the survival of our native red. Scotland is now home to over 75% of the surviving UK red squirrel population.

RSSS are keen to receive your reports of both red and grey squirrel sightings. Sightings can be submitted using the easy to complete form on our web site at: www.redsquirrels.org.uk or by emailing them in to info@redsquirrels.org.uk . We also operate a volunteer trap loan program under which we will give traps and training to anyone wishing to help save red squirrels by controlling greys. Anyone interested in receiving a trap should contact either Richard or Stephanie at: