Red squirrel faces virus threat from grey interloper in battle for survival

A VIRUS carried by the grey squirrel, which is dramatically increasing its numbers, poses a serious threat to the survival of the country’s native red squirrel population.

This was revealed yesterday in a report that warned that grey squirrels are also presenting a threat to broadleaf woodlands because they strip the bark off trees.

Forestry Minister Mary Wallace launched the report, which contains the results of a new survey on the present distribution of red and grey squirrels at a function in Dublin’s Botanic Gardens.