Q: How many red squirrels are in Wales? Thank You, Oliver Ward.

A: Well Oliver, this is a very good question, and a very tricky one to answer. The truth is that nobody knows exactly how many red squirrels there are in Wales, but I can give you some information that may help.

Red squirrels are a native species to the British Isles but, as most people know, their numbers have declined dramatically over many years and they are now only found in a few small areas in Britain. It is believed that red squirrel numbers have declined for a number of reasons, the main ones being loss of their habitat, competition (particularly from the non-native grey squirrels) and disease.

In Wales, red squirrels can still be found in a few very isolated locations in mid and north Wales and also on the island of Anglesey. Organisations, such as the Mid Wales Red Squirrel Project and the Anglesey Red Squirrel Project are working hard to study and conserve our red squirrel populations. This means ensuring that they have the right sort of woodland habitat in which to thrive and that grey squirrels are monitored and possibly removed from the areas where red squirrels are found. On Anglesey, there has been considerable success in increasing the numbers of red squirrels over the last 10 years and now there are several hundred on the island. However, the number of squirrels living in mid and north Wales is not accurately known.

Hopefully, with the continued hard work and dedication of local people red squirrels will continue to live wild in Wales for many years to come.