Clwyd West MS Darren Millar used the first ever Senedd debate on red squirrels to highlight the conservation work being carried out in North Wales to boost the population of the endangered species.  

In his short debate on ‘The plight of Wales’s red squirrels’ Darren, who is the Red Squirrel Species Champion in the Senedd, said that in Wales the red squirrel has been under threat for over a century, but that thanks to conservation work carried out in Denbighshire, Conwy and Anglesey numbers are now rising.

He said:

“In the late 1990s, the Clocaenog forest in Denbighshire appeared to be the home of what was the largest population of red squirrels in the country. But by 2011, it became quite clear that the numbers had declined significantly.

“I’m pleased to say that conservation efforts that were led by Natural Resources Wales and supported by Red Squirrels Trust Wales have seen great success in recent years. Through careful forest management and by the releasing of captive-bred red squirrels into the area to bolster the indigenous population, we’ve seen a slow and steady recovery in the numbers of reds in the area. This work has been helped along by the Clocaenog Red Squirrels Trust. It has forged a strong relationship and partnership with NRW and the Red Squirrels Trust Wales in order to turn the tide on the fortunes of these wonderful animals.

“I thank the many volunteers that I’ve met whilst visiting the Clocaenog forest, including Chris Bamber, the chair of the Clocaenog Red Squirrels Trust, Dave Wilson and Vic Paine. Their conservation efforts have made a huge difference.”

Darren also applauded the Welsh Mountain Zoo’s efforts to protect the species.

He said: “In 1989, the zoo embarked upon its longest running conservation project, which, to this day, is dedicated to the conservation of red squirrels across the British isles. And by working on a UK-wide basis, that breeding programme has led vital research into wildlife reintroduction and the impact of squirrelpox. Our national zoo took a leading and early role in the reintroduction of an iconic part of Welsh wildlife on Anglesey and in Clocaenog, and I want to take this time to pay tribute to the zoo for all of the conservation work that it has done with red squirrels, and, indeed, other species, because there is no doubt that, without our national zoo, our wildlife would be less diverse and less rich than it now is.”

Highlighting the work done to turn the tide of species decline on Anglesey, he added:

“When conservation efforts on Anglesey began, just around 40 squirrels were left on the island, but due to the leadership of Craig Shuttleworth and the Red Squirrels Trust Wales, today, there are around 800 of our red squirrel friends on that island alone, and the population is so large that a number of them have even escaped Anglesey, crossing the Menai straits, to form a small population in the Bangor area.”

Darren concluded by warning  “that without the appropriate action to protect our wildlife here in Wales, we risk causing irreparable damage to our natural heritage” and told Members of the Senedd “It's our duty to safeguard our environment and to support the plight of the red squirrel and other iconic Welsh wildlife.”