dlr Red Squirrel Conservation Project

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Have you seen Squirrels in your garden or in the local area?

If you have seen a Red or a Grey Squirrel in your garden, local park or in the general area please click here to report a squirrel sighting. For further information please contact Joann Breen, Assistant Parks Superintendent 01-2047974 or email jbreen@dlrcoco.ie

The collected information will be used to plan for the conservation of the red squirrel & its habitat in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown into the future.

How to recognise Red and Grey Squirrels

Red

Body colour: Red in summer may have some grey in winter
Ears: Prominent ear tufts during autumn and winter
Tail: Red, red with black tinges (occasionally white)

 

Grey

Body Colour: Grey with some reddish brown ion back side and paws
Ears: Mouse like-no ear tufts
Tail: Brown & Black with white fringe.

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Squirrels in your local area

Small populations of Red Squirrels are living in the woodlands in Killiney Hill Park, Barnaslingan/Carrickgollogan and Ticknock/Kilmashogue. As part of the Red Squirrel Conservation Project, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’s Parks Service is working in consultation with Coillte, Dublin Mountains Partnership, National Parks & Wildlife Services and public and private landowners in the surrounding areas to protect these habitats from the grey squirrel.  We are now seeking more exact information from the public on the distribution of Red and Grey Squirrels in the above areas.

Squirrels in Ireland

There are two species of squirrel in Ireland, the Red Squirrel and the Grey Squirrel.  The Red Squirrel is native, but is undergoing a steady decline across the country. This is largely due to the introduction of the Grey Squirrel, which came to Ireland from North America in 1911.  Grey Squirrels do not injure or kill Red Squirrels, but their larger size, more prolific breeding and more varied diet allow them to out-compete Red Squirrels in broadleaved woodland. Grey Squirrels can also carry the squirrel poxvirus, which does not harm them, but causes a high rate of deaths in Reds. Since its introduction the Grey Squirrel has caused considerable damage to trees and woodlands with it persistent bark stripping.

>> download dlr Red Squirrel Conservation Poster (pdf doc )