Charles in bid to save Yorkshire’s red squirrels

The animal is native to the UK but its future is increasingly uncertain as the American grey squirrel introduced into the country expands its range across the mainland.

Prince Charles wants the newly formed Red Squirrels Northern England group to help preserve what he called “the most iconic of species”.

He visited Hutton-in-the-Forest, Cumbria, to unveil the five-year scheme and meet volunteers who are involved in red squirrel conservation projects in the northern region.

The RSNE project will bring together existing and new programmes of red squirrel conservation work with a combined value of £3.1 million and will try to bring in extra funding.

Among its aims is to work with landowners, volunteers and the wider community to remove grey squirrels and to monitor red squirrel populations.

As patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust (RSST), Charles praised the partnership between the RSST, Natural England, the Forestry Commission and the Wildlife Trusts.

He told volunteers: “It is really only by working together that we will have a chance of preserving this most iconic of species.

“Reds are now returning to the woodland and the gardens where they were once terrorised by greys in certain areas and this is something to celebrate.

“My dream is that red squirrels might thrive in the UK and it is perhaps here in the north of England that perhaps we can dare to think it might be a reality thanks to people like yourselves.

“Two years ago I said I thought the red squirrel could be our national mascot so if we save this iconic species there is just a chance this might actually happen.”

There are 17 red squirrel strongholds in northern England with an estimated 140,000 red squirrels left in Britain, but more than 2.5 million greys, according to the Forestry Commission.

The RSNE project will co-ordinate red squirrel conservation across the North East, the North West and parts of Yorkshire and County Durham.

After he was presented with a wooden squirrel named in his honour, he spoke of his own bid to save a red squirrel at home in Scotland last month.

“I put nuts in the lobby and leave the door open and the red squirrels come up the steps into the house,” he said. “Very often you get four or five running around inside the house, chasing each other to get at the nuts.

“One squirrel was found lying on the floor later on in the afternoon while I was out so we tried desperately to bring it back to life but sadly at the end of the day it died,

“So my effort is to have another small squirrel. My great ambition is to have one in the house, I hate to tell you. Sitting on the breakfast table and on my shoulder!”