Red alert: squirrel spotted in Glasgow suburb for first time in decades

It was bright-eyed and bushy tailed, and scampering along a garden fence near Glasgow.
There is nothing unusual about seeing a squirrel in the suburbs of Scotland’s biggest city. But this one was red and such a sight has not been seen in Scotland’s central belt for decades. Scientists were thrilled by the sighting of the red squirrel in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire.
The destruction of forests and the introduction of their bigger, brawnier American grey cousins in Victorian times drove red squirrels into the hills of the Highlands and Southern Uplands. However, in recent years there has been increasing evidence that they are staging a comeback.
Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS), a project run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, posted pictures and a video of the East Dunbartonshire visitor last week.
“We have had a confirmed red squirrel sighting in Bishopbriggs,” it said. “This is one of the most southerly red squirrel sightings in Scotland’s central belt in recent decades.”
It added: “We cannot say exactly why this pioneering red has turned up in this location. It is perhaps testament to the grey control efforts in areas to the north in recent years, and possibly also as a result of increasing pine marten populations in the Central Lowlands.”
A video, taken by a householder, Lanette Perry, shows a red squirrel darting along a suburban wooden fence while watched by a pet dog.
SSRS, which is partly funded by NatureScot, has been monitoring the species closely. The group urged people near Glasgow to report any sightings, saying: “If you are in the area please keep a VERY close eye out.”
Last year it announced that a red squirrel had been spotted in Balloch country park at the southern end of Loch Lomond. That was the first time a red squirrel had been seen in the area for half a century.
The Highland boundary fault is a priority area for the SSRS volunteers. It is where work is being done to eradicate grey squirrels, which in addition to other problems carry the disease squirrelpox, which kills red squirrels but does greys no harm.
Red squirrels were still widespread in Glasgow after the end of the Second World War. By the end of the century they had been entirely replaced by greys across the central belt of Scotland and almost everywhere in England and Wales apart from Anglesey, the Isle of Wight and a few other pockets of resistance.
The species survives in southwest Scotland and in a wedge of northern Scotland, roughly between the Highland boundary fault and the Great Glen. There is a wider area north of the central belt, and on either side of the English border, where both species are found.
Following research from Ireland, scientists believe that pine martens prey on grey squirrels and are helping to keep their numbers down. Experts are not sure they entirely understand this dynamic.
According to the SSRS website, “the relationship between pine martens and grey squirrels is not fully understood. While pine martens take significantly more grey squirrels than reds as prey, this is unlikely to provide the full explanation. It should be noted that although pine martens will also take red squirrels, they are both native Scottish species with important roles in the woodland ecosystem, and it seems the two species can thrive together in the right conditions.
“However, pine martens are still recovering from years of persecution in Scotland and it may take a long time before they can make a real difference in the effort to save Scotland’s red squirrels.”
Local authorities have reported sightings of pine martens in east Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire and Falkirk. The animals were also recently said to be thriving in areas north of Dumbarton and around the shores of Loch Lomond.