Longleat Welcomes Four Adorable Red Squirrel Babies
Longleat has scored a big win for wildlife with the birth of four baby red squirrels—one boy and three girls—as part of a national push to bring the species back from the brink.
Red Squirrels Near Extinction in England
These tiny kits are a rare sight in England, where red squirrels haven’t been spotted since 1965 and are now almost extinct. The animals arrived blind, deaf, and hairless just months ago, but are growing fast under their mum’s fierce care.
“I came in one day and there was mum, dad and an extra little head, and by the afternoon they just poured out, it was fantastic,” said keeper Chris Burr.
“Mum is an absolute legend. She built a nest the size of a football and was extremely protective. That’s when we knew something was going on.”
Hope for a Red Squirrel Revival at Longleat
Once grown, these fluffballs will join breeding programmes or even be released into the wild, with hopes to re-establish a strong red squirrel population on the Longleat estate.
“How cool would it be in 10 to 15 years to have these little red fluff balls bouncing around Longleat? That would be fantastic,” said Mr Burr.
Red Squirrels vs Grey Invaders
Red squirrels once thrived across the UK but have dwindled to just 140,000 today. Meanwhile, the invasive grey squirrel population has exploded to 2.5 million, making conservation efforts like this crucial.
