Baby Red Squirrels caught on camera at Longleat

Friday, 30 May 2025 11:02

The first red squirrel kits to be born at Longleat in Wiltshire for over three years have been captured on a doorbell camera playing among the trees in their habitat.

The month-old pair were born to first-time parents Pinecone and Rory just after Easter weighing around 10grams each.

Red squirrels are native to the UK but have faced significant challenges in recent decades, with populations declining due to habitat loss and competition from non-native grey squirrels.

Longleat’s breeding programme forms part of a UK-wide initiative to bolster red squirrel numbers and reintroduce them to their ancestral woodland habitats.

The unnamed twins will remain in their drey, a woven nest strategically placed high among the branches, until they are fully weaned at around 10 weeks old.

Once independent, their diet will shift from maternal milk to a varied woodland menu of hornbeam seeds, pinecones, hazelnuts, ash seeds, tender shoots, and other plant materials.

Longleat’s red squirrel programme complements wider conservation efforts across the UK, which include habitat restoration, public education and a managed breeding scheme designed to support genetic diversity.

The last litter born at Longleat joined this national effort, helping to secure the future of the species beyond the park’s boundaries.

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