Red Squirrel Kits Born at Longleat: UK Population Down 92%

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Tiny red squirrel kits born at Longleat Safari Park weigh just 10 grams each - about as heavy as two nickels!

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First red squirrel births at Longleat in over three years offer hope for a species whose UK population has crashed from 3.5 million to just 287,000.

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Parents Pinecone and Rory welcomed the month-old twins just after Easter, adding crucial numbers to Britain's dwindling native squirrel population.

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Grey squirrels have surged to 2.7 million in the UK, outcompeting their red cousins for food and carrying a deadly virus that kills red squirrels within weeks.

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The twins will stay in their "drey" - a woven nest high in the trees - until they're 10 weeks old and ready to explore their woodland world.

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Once weaned, the kits will swap mother's milk for a natural diet of seeds, nuts, and plant shoots - if they lived in the wild, they'd need to eat 18% of their body weight daily.

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Red squirrels now survive mainly in just five UK strongholds: Scotland, Northern England, Wales, the Isle of Wight, and Anglesey.

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Why are these tiny births so important? Each new kit is critical to maintaining genetic diversity in breeding programs across Britain.

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Pine martens - natural predators that hunt grey squirrels more effectively than reds - are being reintroduced to help restore nature's balance.

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Red wood ant colonies influence forest health through their defensive tactics and relationships with various species.

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