Red squirrels should get same legal protection as beavers, ministers urged as extinction fears grow
- Hayley O'Keeffe
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Ministers are facing fresh calls to strengthen legal protections for Britain's dwindling red squirrel population, amid warnings the iconic native mammal could disappear from much of mainland England within a generation.
A national campaign backed by more than 83,000 supporters is urging the Government to grant red squirrels the same level of legal protection currently afforded to beavers, arguing the move could be achieved within months through a simple amendment to existing legislation.
Conservation group Save Our Reds CIC is calling for red squirrels to be added to The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, which would give their breeding and sheltering sites stronger legal safeguards against damage and destruction.
The proposal follows the publication of Natural England's Red Squirrel Recovery Strategy, which warns that under a "do nothing" scenario there is a high probability that red squirrels could become extinct across mainland England within the next 25 years.
Campaigners argue it is difficult to justify a situation in which beavers, which were reintroduced to Britain after centuries of absence, receive stronger habitat protection than red squirrels, which have been part of the country's native wildlife for thousands of years.
Marie Carter-Robb, founder of Save Our Reds CIC, said: "If a species reintroduced after centuries of absence can receive this level of protection, a native species that has lived here for thousands of years should not be left with less.
"Red squirrels are now hanging on in just a handful of strongholds across England. Recent concerns surrounding forestry operations within the Kielder landscape have further highlighted the need for stronger safeguards for remaining red squirrel habitats. We believe the law should reflect the reality facing red squirrels and provide stronger protections before more of these vital strongholds are lost."
Red squirrels are already protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, but campaigners say this does not go far enough. They argue that inclusion within the 2017 Regulations would place greater scrutiny on developments and activities affecting key habitats by making it an offence to damage or destroy breeding and resting places.
The campaign says the change could be delivered through secondary legislation, using the same legislative mechanism that was used when beavers were added to the Regulations in 2022, meaning no new Act of Parliament would be required.
Dr Craig Shuttleworth, one of Britain's leading red squirrel conservationists, warned that time is running out for the species.
He said: "We are now perilously close to losing red squirrels from large parts of Britain. In many areas, it feels like we're not at the eleventh hour, but eleven seconds to midnight.
"We have the knowledge, the legislation and the conservation expertise. What is needed now is the political will to ensure those protections are properly applied and enforced."
Campaigners stress that enhanced legal protection would not solve every challenge facing the species, which continues to battle habitat loss, squirrelpox disease and competition from invasive grey squirrels.
However, they argue it would represent a significant and achievable step towards safeguarding the remaining populations.
Ms Carter-Robb said: "We are not suggesting this is a silver bullet. Red squirrels face a range of pressures, from habitat loss to disease and competition from grey squirrels. But stronger legal protection is a practical step that could be taken now.
"The legal route already exists. The precedent is already there. The question is whether Government is prepared to act before further red squirrel strongholds are lost."
Wildlife filmmaker and broadcaster Terry Abraham, who recently became Save Our Reds CIC's first official ambassador, also backed the proposal.
He said: "Red squirrels are one of our most iconic native mammals. The public clearly cares about them and it's time their protection matched their importance."
The proposal forms part of the campaign's wider Conservation Action Framework, which also calls for stronger enforcement of existing wildlife laws, mandatory wildlife impact assessments before woodland felling, independent auditing of biodiversity commitments, increased ranger support in red squirrel strongholds and continued investment in squirrelpox vaccine and grey squirrel fertility control research.
The campaign's petition, launched in 2025, has now attracted more than 83,000 signatures and is supported by conservationists and red squirrel groups across Britain.
The full Conservation Action Framework can be viewed at:
Petition:
Find out more at https://www.saveourreds.uk
