Progress over the Merseyside Red Squirrels Project's first year has been hugely encouraging. A population survey carried out on the Sefton Coast in December 2009 showed that red squirrel numbers there have doubled during 2009, from the historic low of 150 animals in 2008, to around 300 today.

The following chart shows the number of red squirrels counted along 15 walked transects in the Sefton Coast refuge on an index basis (2002 = 100). It also includes historical data since 2002. It is clear from the data collected that red squirrel numbers have recovered emphatically from 2008 lows.

Outside the refuge, Amy Campbell (the project Red Squirrel Field Officer) has also worked hard to increase the size of the grey squirrel control zone so that reds will return across the wider landscape area. A total of 562 grey squirrels have been removed in the extended control zone since January 2009 . While it is impossible to come up with an authoritative assessment of the proportion of greys that have been caught, records indicate that the figure is somewhere between 50% and 70%.

The following chart illustrates howred recovery is not limited to the refuge area.

We expect that the continued grey squirrel control conducted by the project will enable red squirrel numbers to continue to recover in Merseyside over the coming years.

From October 2009 a team from the University of Liverpool, headed by vet Tim Dale has also begun research into squirrelpox and the immune status of the surviving red squirrel population found in the Merseyside area. The initial aim of the project is to determine if the surviving red squirrels have encountered the virus and survived or simply being lucky enough to avoid it.

The research, so far has involved the capture, sampling, id-chipping and release of the individuals found within the Sefton Coast area of Merseyside. These samples will then be analysed for the presence of antibodies and the virus itself. The project will continue for the next 3 to 4 years in order to develop detailed life histories of individual animals and help solve some of the mysteries surrounding the transmission of squirrelpox.

It is hoped the study will provide invaluable information to develop future conservation strategies to keep Red squirrels in the local area of Merseyside and throughout the British Isles. The project is funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council and the National Trust.

If you are interested in knowing more about the project then please do not hesitate to contact Tim Dale at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it