[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]A RARE red squirrel has been sighted in the wild in Warrington for the first time since the 1980s.
Cheshire Wildlife Trust have described the find in a resident's garden as 'extremely exciting'.
The only place in the borough to normally see the red squirrel is at Walton Children's Zoo who have a group of captive squirrels.
But the find last weekend had conservation groups excited at the prospect of wild red squirrels in the Cheshire region for the first time in years.
The sighting was swiftly confirmed by members of the Warrington Conservation Forum and Cheshire Mammal Group, after a video was captured of the furry visitor making the most of bird feeders.
The nearest wild population is on the Sefton Coast in Lancashire but they suffered a devestating drop in numbers after the squirrels succumbed to an infection of pox.
Expert Paul Hill of the local mammal group said it was typical for young squirrels to explore beyond their usual territories during the autumn and winter, however the footage appeared to show an adult which was particularly interesting.
Tom Marshall from Cheshire Wildlife Trust said: "This is a fantastic good news story and we really hope this visiting red squirrel is not alone.
"Our colleagues at Lancashire Wildlife Trust have worked hard on the recovery of red squirrels on the Sefton Coast, and to know that the squirrels are potentially exploring beyond this territory could be amazing for the Cheshire region."
A team has now installed special nut feeders in the area which allow red squirrels to feed, but exclude the larger grey squirrel.
Motion detection cameras will also be inspected over the coming weeks to see if the red squirrels return and to determine if there may be more than one.
Red squirrels have suffered with the intrusion of their larger, non-native American cousins the grey squirrel.
The larger grey squirrel use their bold and aggressive nature to gain nuts earlier in the season which reduces supplies for red squirrels.
The rare reds are mostly confined to Scotland and small populations scattered elsewhere across the UK.
If you think you have seen a red squirrel in Warrington Cheshire Wildlife Trust ask you to try and capture a photograph or video to aid identification and share it via the Facebook pages of Cheshire Wildlife Trust or Warrington Conservation Forum.
Thu Dec 20, 2012 1:44 pm
