England faces red squirrel 'extinction' - just 15,000 left

England's red squirrels are close to extinction and the UK government must do more to protect them, an animal welfare group has warned. 'Save Our Reds' combined data from different wildlife organisations and claimed endangered red squirrels "still cling on" across Cumbria, Northumberland and the North Pennines - but could disappear within 25 years.

Now a petition attracting over 77,000 signatures, the red squirrel group fear only 120,000 to 160,000 remain across Britain - with as few as 15,000 in England. The petition warns: "Red squirrels are disappearing from much of the UK - and in England, they are now close to being lost altogether. Once common across the UK, them iconic mammals now cling to survival in just a few woodland strongholds.

"They are more than a countryside symbol - they are a national favourite. Even King Charles has called them 'ambassadors for nature'. Their cultural importance is so widely felt that they now feature on the UK's new commemorative 2p coin.

"Once numbering in the millions, red squirrels are now confined to a handful of northern strongholds. It is only thanks to tireless volunteers, local groups and small charities that red squirrels survive in England at all.

"While it is illegal to kill a red squirrel, destroying its habitat is still allowed - and it is happening. Ancient plantations known to support reds are being felled with no mitigation, no reassessment, and no consequence.

"Those efforts are being quietly undone. If we do not act now, we will lose red squirrels from much of the UK. This petition calls on the UK Government and devolved authorities to act now to protect and restore red squirrel populations."

According to Natural England, causes for the decline include the introduction of grey squirrels from North America from 1876 spreading the squirrel pox virus that is fatal to the reds only.

Founder of the campaign Marie Carter-Robb, said: "We have a series of urgent actions that need to be brought together into one joined-up national plan."

The group said habitat loss and weak enforcement of existing protections were adding to the problem.

Carter-Robb added: "The map is shocking. It makes the reality impossible to ignore. This is not theoretical, without action we will lose our red squirrels."

She said the "urgent actions that need to be brought together" were "fragmented" and "we are simply managing decline".

The campaign called for a national plan to humanely manage grey squirrel populations and urgent investment in squirrel pox vaccine development.

It also wants support for fertility control research and deployment, and protection and enforcement of red squirrel habitat.

Carter-Robb went on: "We need government, conservation bodies, landowners, scientists and campaigners around the same table. The tools exist or are being developed. What is missing is coordination, funding and urgency."

The organisation suggested that while it was illegal to kill red squirrels, their habitats were being destroyed.

But the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), said the government was protecting endangered red squirrels by tackling the threat of non-native grey squirrels.

DEFRA said: "Working alongside landowners and conservation partners, we are supporting promising research into fertility control so that we can manage grey squirrel populations and help our iconic red squirrels and native wildlife flourish.

"We support red squirrel populations in Cumbria and Northumberland by monitoring them and controlling the grey squirrel population.

"We also manage forest and woodland habitats to enable red squirrels to thrive. We work with and support partner organisations and volunteer red squirrel groups as part of our conservation activity."

DEFRA added that Forestry England managed the nation's forests, following "world-class, independently certified, sustainable forest and land management standards" to ensure they thrive and provide vital sustainably produced timber.