VISITORS to Walton Hall Gardens in Warrington will be going “nuts” to meet three new arrivals- three rare baby red squirrel kittens, making a total of 30 born since the start of a special breeding programme.
Rangers say the cute red squirrels were once a common sight all over the UK, until the 1950’s when the first grey squirrels were brought over from America.
Since then grey squirrels have virtually wiped out the red squirrels in most of England and Wales. A breeding programme aims to release captive bred red squirrels into managed nature reserves, and to set up many small colonies of captive squirrels in zoos around the country.
Red squirrels came to Walton Gardens Children’s Zoo in 2006 and the rangers work with the Welsh Mountain Zoo, who hold the red squirrel studbook for the UK.
The breeding programme at the zoo was funded by WREN, the waste recycling group.
Zoo ranger Peter Cookson-Dean says: “It’s lovely to have baby red squirrels at the zoo again, as we had to wait for the females to be old enough to breed. We hope that this will be the first of many litters.”
Anyone who would like more information about the squirrels, including the zoo’s adoption programme, should contact the rangers on 01925 601617 (extension 2) or alternatively download an application form from the Facebook page.
The adoption scheme is run by the Friends of Walton Estate.
