Shedding light on shades of grey (and red)

THE native red squirrel, once a common animal in many parts of the country, is under threat from the American grey squirrel which came here about 100 years ago.

Bushy-tailed red squirrels are already losing the battle for survival in England’s forests and a cull of grey squirrels has been announced in Britain to protect the red’s falling numbers.

Here, a national survey has just begun to find out the exact distribution of both species, and the public has been asked to assist.