Magical Mammals: A team effort to protect North Wales’ native wildlife

Red squirrels are one of our most iconic and charismatic species, but these beautiful creatures have long been in trouble.

They’ve been steadily disappearing for decades, with the increasing presence of grey squirrels threatening their existence. However, a determined effort is underway to change that in North Wales.

The Magical Mammals project, a collaborative conservation initiative, is working to restore the balance of nature by boosting the red squirrel population as well as the numbers of a another rare native species - the pine marten.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is proud to be one of the key partners and supporters of the project helping to turn the tide in favour of these native species.

The red squirrel challenge

Red squirrels are undeniably charming, with their chestnut coats, distinctive ear tufts, and bushy tails. However, their population in North Wales has been on the decline for decades, largely due to the spread of the North American grey squirrel.

Greys are not only larger, outcompeting reds for food and resources, but they also carry squirrelpox, a virus lethal to red squirrels. Over time, this has led to the red squirrels’ sharp decline across areas like Gwynedd, Conwy, and Denbighshire.

While red squirrels are found across much of Europe and parts of Asia and Siberia, their situation in Wales is challenging. In North Wales, red squirrel sightings are now largely restricted to Anglesey and a few isolated mainland sites.

How Magical Mammals is making a difference

The Magical Mammals project has stepped in to help the red squirrel make a comeback. Captive-bred red squirrels are being released into Clocaenog Forest, to boost the small existing population and give the species a fighting chance at survival.

Each release is carefully planned, with locations chosen to ensure good sources of natural food and to avoid any disturbance from forest operations. In North West Wales, pine martens are being reintroduced into areas of suitable woodland habitat.

The Magical Mammals project received £500k funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund.

NRW also plays a vital role in these efforts through funding of work in Clocaenog  forest and wider support.

Our officers have been deeply involved in developing proposals for further population reinforcements in Clocaenog, ensuring that every step is taken with care and precision. Our officers also liaise with captive breeders to ensure the smooth transfer of squirrels to their new homes in the wild, making sure that the necessary disease tests are carried out by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

However the Magical Mammals project is about more than just logistics – it’s about community.

The project also provides opportunities for local people to get involved in vital conservation work with the aim of empowering them with skills and confidence to transform their community’s relationship with the natural world.

Local volunteers and red squirrel groups, such as Clocaenog Red Squirrels Trust and Red Squirrels Trust Wales, are working side by side with conservation experts, creating and installing nestboxes, constructing forest enclosures to house animals prior to release, and providing supplementary food to give pine martens and red squirrels the best possible start in their new environment. This team effort is essential, as the goal is to establish self-sustaining populations that no longer need human intervention to survive.

Workshops have also recently been held to create more red squirrel nestboxes, which will be placed in strategic locations to give the squirrels safe places to build their dreys. These small steps add up to a bigger picture of hope and recovery for the species.

Looking to the future

The future of red squirrels in North Wales is looking a little brighter, but there is still much work to be done.

The Magical Mammals project is just one part of a wider effort to restore these species to their former glory, and with more captive-bred animals set to be released and ongoing work to control grey squirrel numbers, we are hopeful that the red squirrel population can continue to grow.