About Us
South Lakes Red Squirrel Group (SLRSG)
is a volunteer-led, community group dedicated to protecting and conserving native red squirrels in our local area. Since forming in March 2020, our efforts have focused on one goal: keeping red squirrels thriving in the Lake District.
Protecting Red Squirrels in the southern Lake District
Red squirrels are under serious threat from invasive grey squirrels, which carry the Squirrel Pox Virus (SQPV), harmless to greys but usually fatal to reds. Once infected, red squirrels deteriorate rapidly and suffer a painful illness, becoming vulnerable to all sorts of debilitating issues. They almost always die within 2-3 weeks. With a single outbreak, an entire community of reds can be lost in the space of a few weeks.
We work to protect reds by controlling invasive grey squirrels using lawful and humane means.