Wildwood Trust: New Red Squirrel babies at Wildwood will support reintroduction project

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New Red Squirrel babies at Wildwood will support reintroduction project

Wildwood Trust has helped repopulate The Island of Anglesey with Red Squirrels over the last 15 years. Now as the native reds move to recolonise the mainland, Wildwood is providing more Red Squirrels to support their expansion and ensure their spread throughout the U.K.

This month has seen the birth of three Red Squirrel babies at Wildwood, some of which will be released into the wild in Wales as soon as they have grown into adulthood.

Watch video of our baby Red Squirrels

Reversing 100 years of extinction is one of the main charitable goals of Wildwood Trust and the new babies are great news for the future.

These new babies, born 3 weeks ago and now venturing out of their nest boxes are Wildwood's first brood this year. When old enough the squirrels will be transported to two sites in Wales to live wild and free, helping the developing wild population to safeguard and expand the species. After recent efforts to reintroduce pine martens by the Vincent Wildlife Trust, it is now hoped the red squirrel can outcompete invasive grey squirrels from North America to once again become part of lives, eventually being restored across Southern Britain.

Red squirrels went extinct in Kent in the 1960's, but many can still remember them from their childhood when Kent once teemed with these beautiful acrobats of the trees! Visitors to Wildwood are in luck this week with regular sightings of our Red Squirrels in their large new walk-though enclosure and now is your chance to play a role by adopting one of our squirrels today. You can adopt online now at this secure link https://wildwoodtrust.shop/collections/adoptions/products/red-squirrel-adoption

Click here to adopt a Red Squirrel

Paul Whitfield, Director General of Wildwood Trust said:

"Red Squirrels are one of the most beautiful animals in the U.K. and visitors can watch these playful animals over the summer leaping between trees in their huge fenced off woodland home. Wildwood aim and ambition is to help restore areas of woodland to the point where they can support wild populations of Red Squirrels. Our plan is to see Red Squirrels reintroduced into Kent and across Southern Britain within the next 10 years.”

"Wildwood Trust’s mission is Protecting, Rewilding and Conserving British Wildlife."

Red Squirrels are just some of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood Park near Canterbury. For more information visit our website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 01227 712111.

Wildwood's 'Wildlife Conservation Park' is an ideal day out for all the family where you can come 'nose to nose' with British Wildlife. Wildwood offers its members and visitors a truly inspirational way to learn about the natural history of Britain by actually seeing the wildlife that once lived here, like the wolf, beaver, red squirrel, wild boar and many more.

Wildwood is situated close to Canterbury, just off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury.

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CONTACT

Wildwood Trust: +44(0)1227 712 111

Paul Whitfield: paul@wildwoodtrust.org or 01227 209612

Dan Farrow: dan.farrow@wildwoodtrust.org or 01227 209617

Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Nr Canterbury, Kent CT6 7LQ

Registered Charity No. 1093702

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ABOUT WILDWOOD

Wildwood Trust opened in 1999 as a centre of excellence for the conservation of British wildlife, and was established as a registered charity in 2002. Wildwood is Kent's best British wildlife park. Home to over 200 native animals, past and present and set in 40 acres of beautiful ancient woodland where visitors can see bears, wolves, bison, deer, owls, foxes, red squirrels, wild boar, lynx, wild horses, badgers and beavers plus many more. As one of the leading British animal conservation charities in the UK, Wildwood Trust is dedicated to saving Britain's most threatened wildlife. Wildwood Trust have taken part in many ground-breaking conservation programmes to date, which include, saving the water vole, using wild horses to help restore Kent's most precious nature reserves, bringing the extinct European beaver back to Britain and returning the hazel dormouse & red squirrel to areas where they have been made extinct.