Campaign to save the red squirrel
A campaign to halt the spread of squirrelpox virus, a disease lethal to red squirrels, has been launched by the Wildlife Ark Trust, a leading conservation charity.
Squirrelpox virus is carried by the grey squirrel, which is immune to it, but infects the red squirrel. Painful lesions develop and spread over the red squirrel, particularly around the eyes and nose. As the disease progresses, reds, crippled and unable to see to feed themselves, starve to death. It can take a red squirrel up to three weeks to die after becoming infected with the squirrelpox virus. Some also die from secondary infections contracted through the raw skin.
“The Wildlife Ark Trust, a registered charity, decided it was essential to develop a vaccine to protect the red squirrel from the effects of this virus. Working with internationally renowned Moredun Research Institute, it has begun work to identify a vaccine,” said Mr Robin Wilkin, Chairman of the Wildlife Ark Trust.
The vaccine programme is costing £408,000. The Wildlife Ark Trust has already raised £320,000. However it is looking to raise the remaining £88,000 for the final six months of this landmark project through its Red Squirrel Appeal. Any donations in excess of this amount will go to the Trust’s other conservation work.
“The grey squirrel’s rapid rate of encroachment has increased by a factor of 20 when they are infected with the squirrelpox virus. It is estimated that the English red squirrel will be extinct within ten years,” added Mr Wilkin.
Chris Packham, the television wildlife presenter and a patron of the Trust said, “If you value our native wildlife, you should support the Red Squirrel Appeal. Normally concerned members of the public have to wait patiently for government to get its act together before any action is taken to protect our wildlife. On this occasion we are able immediately to influence the outcome of this major conservation effort to save our red squirrels”.
The development of a squirrelpox vaccine is supported by Defra, the European Squirrel Initiative, The Red Squirrel Survival Trust and many other conservation organisations.
If you would like to support the Red Squirrel Appeal you can donate by post by sending your cheque, made payable to the Wildlife Ark Trust, to the Red Squirrel Appeal, the Wildlife Ark Trust, P O Box 63, Consett DH8 0UR. For more information please visdit the website www.wildlifearktrust.org
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Issued on behalf of the Wildlife Ark Trust.
For more information, please contact Don Askew, don@wildlifearktrust.com
The Wildlife Ark Trust is a registered charity. We are commited to the conservation of two of our most threatened native animals - the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), and the water vole (Arvicola terrestris). Both face extinction because of the actions and disease associated with two alien pest species – the North American grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and the American mink (Mustella vison).
The Wildlife Ark Trust is in favour of any conservation measure that will help the red squirrel and the water vole such as habitat management, supplementary feeding, scientific research etc. but we believe that the control of alien pest species’ numbers must be a priority. We also support the view that the immediate development of a vaccine to combat the effects of the squirrelpox virus in the red squirrels is vital.
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