More on Red Squirrels

Good news about the possible red squirrel.

It behoves all of us to reduce the grey population as much as possible. Not only do they carry a fatal virus which kills the reds to which they act purely as carriers. They also rob small song bird nests of both eggs and young.

You may be interested to know that the Moredun Foundation in Scotland, established in 1921 by Scottish farmers to research sheep diseases, has a research programme investigating the fatal pox disease in the red squirrel.

Recent findings have identified a pocket of reds "somewhere in Scotland" which have a natural immunity to the virus. This of course gives hope for the development of an oral vaccine.

As with all research into non-food producing disease in wild animals, funding is a major obstacle. If anyone wishes to assist this research at Moredun, they have a website – just Google Moredun.

I do have a vested interest as I have just retired as a Director.

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