First Red Squirrels in a Kent woodland for 50 years!

Find out more about our successful reintroduction of red squirrels in Clocaenog Forest

* PRESS RELEASE *     Wildwood Trust is releasing the first Red Squirrels to their amazing open-air woodland walkthrough – the first squirrels to live in a Kentish woodland for 50 years. On Saturday 25th of May, three Red Squirrels will be released into their new immersive woodland enclosure.   Visitors will walk through the squirrel’s habitat, meandering through the trees on a raised platform to watch the Red Squirrels at play without disturbing them. The squirrels, shy at first, will get used to visitors and in a few weeks, we hope to give daily experiences where people can watch the squirrels being hand fed by their keepers.   This project is part of a major plan to bring red squirrels back to Kent and repopulate the county.   Wildwood has been hard at work repopulating Wales with Red Squirrels over the last 12 years with great success, and now, with conservation partners, we hope to work towards their eventual release into Kent. This can only happen if we create the right conditions for reds and will need the interaction of wild pine martens, rebalancing Kentish woodlands, to favour Red Squirrels thriving over the invasive North American grey squirrel.     As of Saturday 25th, three Red Squirrels, soon to be joined by more, will have access to the enclosure, but it will take time for the squirrels to feel at home. Unfortunately, visitors may be disappointed if they are hoping to see the squirrels at play for the next few weeks as they get used to their new home.   Reversing 50 years of extinction is one of the main charitable goals of Wildwood Trust and the new squirrels will act as ambassadors, promoting a plan to reintroduce red squirrels to Kent.   Red squirrels became extinct in Kent in the 1960s, driven to extinction by natural destruction and being out-competed by invasive North American grey squirrels. But many can still remember them from their childhood, when Kent once teemed with these beautiful acrobats of the trees!   Paul Whitfield, Director General of Wildwood Trust, said:    “I am delighted with the amazing work of our Rangers and Keepers, supported by volunteers, in creating this woodland oasis. This is the best red squirrel exhibit in the country and people in Kent will once again be able experience walking though woodlands filled with free roaming red squirrels”.   Peter Smith, Wildwood Trust Director, 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. If we can help restore areas of woodland to a native state, reintroduce animals like pine martens to control invasive grey squirrels, we can tip the balance back in the red squirrel's favour. Our eventual plan is to once again see them in Kent".     CONTACT Wildwood Trust: +44(0)1227 712 111 Peter Smith: peter@wildwoodtrust.org or 07986 828229 Paul Whitfield: paul@wildwoodtrust.org or 07956 123633 Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Nr Canterbury, Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No. 1093702 FOLLOW US Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildwoodtrust Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildwoodTrust Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thewildwoodtrust 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.

Wildwood Trust | Copyright - © 2018 Herne Common Herne Bay Kent CT6 7LQ Registered Charity No: 1093702 Wildwood Kent: 01227 712 111 Wildwood Devon: 01404 822 188 info@wildwoodtrust.org