Our wild haven: celebrating our Red Squirrels with Jen Parker

BIODIV ERSITY

Introducing a new regular Style of Wight feature on our biodiverse Island. The Isle of Wight was made a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2019, so what is it that makes us so special and so biologically diverse?

Who better to introduce our new biodiversity feature than our unique red squirrel population.

Our wild haven

Words and illustration Jen Parker

It’s hard to say for sure, but I think it’s the ear tufts, isn’t it? Those little tufts add a whole new dimension to our native squirrel’s charming character. The red squirrel is the UK’s only native squirrel; it is simply good luck that the species is so much cuter than its easy-to-demonise grey cousin. It sure helps its plight though – who wouldn’t want to fight on behalf of such a sweet, shy little underdog?

On the off-chance that you haven’t heard the whole juicy story, here’s The

History of Britain’s Favourite Rodent in brief: Red squirrels were once a common sight and could be spotted prancing from tree to tree around the

UK’s woodlands (and those in Europe and northern Asia – right over to northwest China). They were living the high life here until the arrival of the invasive grey squirrel in the 1870s. I don’t like to point the finger but, well, the fact is, we wouldn’t be in this mess if the owners of stately homes didn’t think it would be a great idea to decorate their grounds with invasive American rodents.

Besides being objectively less cute, grey squirrels have caused a stir because they carry a nasty squirrel disease – a Parapoxvirus – that doesn’t affect them but can be fatal to red squirrels. They also out-compete the smaller reds for food (eating green acorns before they are ripe enough for reds to enjoy) and generally stress red squirrels out, which suppresses their breeding. According to the Woodland Trust, the red squirrel population has dropped from 3.5 million to somewhere between 120,000 and 160,000 individuals, and as few as 15,000 individuals in England. Having evolved over many thousands of years in British woodland, red squirrels are harmless mammals that have adapted to play a significant role in seed dispersal (especially for pine seeds). They are important because they belong here, and they are important because they are adorable. Yes, genuinely. The red squirrel is a flagship species for British wildlife conservation: by being adorable and having an interesting plight, red squirrels grab people’s attention and impel them to learn more about (and contribute to) wildlife conservation close to home. There is no doubt that saving red squirrels has also helped to protect swathes of native woodland here in the UK.

The species is holding on in Scotland, Northumberland, the Lake District and Wales, but as greys continue to expand their range, islands like ours have become havens for red squirrels. On the mainland, ‘buffer zones’ are necessary to prevent the migration of greys into the protected reds’ territories, where grey squirrels are regularly culled. Fortunately for us, the Solent does a great job at fending them off without harm.

It might seem obvious, but it has to be said that being surrounded by water is beneficial when it comes to wildlife conservation. Did you know that UK Overseas Territories – mostly islands, located all around the world – are home to 94 percent of the known British endemic species? Although islands make up only around three percent of the world’s surface, they accommodate a great proportion of Earth’s biodiversity because of their high levels of endemism (where a species is found naturally only in one particular area of the world – like an island). In cases like the red squirrel’s, islands are extremely useful for protecting vulnerable wildlife from invasive species that have stormed the mainland – a common problem around the world, especially with the expansion of global trade. It can be an impossible task to remove an invasive species from an area once it has become established, so islands often represent the last remaining sanctuaries for animals and plants impacted by these alien newcomers. With defined borders, high levels of biodiversity and islanders’ broad sense of pride around their native species and ecosystems, islands like ours can be brilliant hubs for wildlife conservation. They are places of optimism and innovation, where conservation techniques – old and new – can be set into action in a naturally defined space, at a manageable scale, and where communities rally with a shared enthusiasm, born from their love for their island and its extraordinary nonhuman residents, to push conservation efforts forward. We must embrace our unique position and champion the preservation of our rare habitats and species – starting, of course, with our Island’s tufted conservation champion.