‘On a knife edge’: can England’s red squirrel population be saved?

Helena Horton   The Guardian6 February 2026
Non-native grey squirrels, which were introduced from 1876, have pushed their way into every corner of England, outcompeting the reds for food and carrying a disease called squirrelpox, which does not affect them but is fatal to the red population.

Government plans to protect species by increasing woodland and removing greys.