A Red Squirrel sharing the spoils on a bird table in
Aughrim, Wicklow.
Red squirrel numbers in Ireland have been on the decline for the better part of a century, indeed, in many parts of the country, particularly the south, they have disappeared completely. The decline in numbers can be attributed to two main factors. The first factor was the reduction in forestry during the mid 19th century and the second the introduction of the American grey squirrel in the late19th century as an ornamental species. Picture Nick Bradshaw / fotonic