1 00:00:02,604 --> 00:00:04,245 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: There's something moving in the water. 2 00:00:06,867 --> 00:00:10,029 Is it a bird? Is it a fish? 3 00:00:12,671 --> 00:00:14,412 No, it's a squirrel? 4 00:00:18,595 --> 00:00:22,058 CAROL : So squirrels can swim. That always amazes people. 5 00:00:23,859 --> 00:00:26,601 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: And sometimes they cross big bodies of water 6 00:00:26,741 --> 00:00:28,542 like the Menai Strait in Wales. 7 00:00:31,336 --> 00:00:41,405 And that's where the problem begins. : 8 00:00:41,405 --> 00:00:44,648 On the island of Ynys Môn, Anglesey, in North Wales, 9 00:00:44,868 --> 00:00:47,551 there's a mission underway to protect one of Britain's most 10 00:00:47,611 --> 00:00:52,015 endangered mammals, the red squirrel. From extinction and 11 00:00:52,016 --> 00:00:55,999 the growing threat of the grey squirrel, a danger that can even 12 00:00:56,019 --> 00:00:56,979 arrive by sea. 13 00:00:57,752 --> 00:01:01,213 Keeping this small population of squirrels safe is a game of high 14 00:01:01,273 --> 00:01:05,895 stakes and ingenuity. I'm Rosie Holdsworth and you're listening 15 00:01:05,935 --> 00:01:06,976 to Wild Tales. 16 00:01:07,456 --> 00:01:10,837 Operation Nutcracker | The Return Of The Red Squirrel. 17 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:21,642 No doubt you've seen a squirrel before, down the road, in a park 18 00:01:22,002 --> 00:01:25,984 or darting up a telegraph pole. Chances are it's a grey 19 00:01:26,124 --> 00:01:30,523 squirrel. They were introduced to the UK in the late 1800's and 20 00:01:30,603 --> 00:01:32,485 now there are millions of them. 21 00:01:36,269 --> 00:01:39,832 One you're much less likely to see is the red squirrel. It's 22 00:01:39,872 --> 00:01:44,676 our native species and it's been here for thousands of years. But 23 00:01:44,777 --> 00:01:48,180 now it's one of Britain's most endangered mammals, with very 24 00:01:48,260 --> 00:01:54,873 few places where it still survives. One of those places is 25 00:01:54,874 --> 00:01:58,055 the island of Ynys Môn, Anglesey, in North Wales. 26 00:02:01,697 --> 00:02:05,079 Not so long ago there were only 40 red squirrels remaining here. 27 00:02:10,242 --> 00:02:13,624 Today, we're heading to Plas Newydd, where rangers run daily 28 00:02:13,704 --> 00:02:16,826 red squirrel walks, giving visitors a chance to catch a 29 00:02:16,866 --> 00:02:19,708 glimpse of a red squirrel in a place where they're making a 30 00:02:19,748 --> 00:02:20,208 comeback. 31 00:02:23,568 --> 00:02:27,071 CAROL : I'm Carol. I've been volunteering as a squirrel 32 00:02:27,111 --> 00:02:30,254 ranger here since it started, which must be about seven years 33 00:02:30,314 --> 00:02:33,837 now. But yeah, I've always been interested in animals, looking 34 00:02:33,857 --> 00:02:36,299 after animals. So the opportunity to come and work as 35 00:02:36,300 --> 00:02:39,822 a ranger here for the National Trust was, well, it was too good 36 00:02:39,823 --> 00:02:40,523 to turn down. 37 00:02:43,045 --> 00:02:45,227 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: Here at Plas Newydd, Carol is getting ready 38 00:02:45,267 --> 00:02:45,787 to head out. 39 00:02:45,907 --> 00:02:48,489 CAROL : We do two walks a day, telling people about our 40 00:02:48,529 --> 00:02:52,480 squirrels, trying to give people that enthusiasm for the red 41 00:02:52,540 --> 00:02:54,722 squirrels and why it's important to keep protecting them. 42 00:02:54,962 --> 00:02:56,684 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: Carol knows these woods very well. 43 00:02:57,144 --> 00:02:59,526 CAROL : So this is where I start off the walk. So I gather people 44 00:02:59,527 --> 00:03:02,048 up here and we do a little introduction and we set off down 45 00:03:02,068 --> 00:03:02,368 this way. 46 00:03:03,870 --> 00:03:05,471 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: It's a chance for her to make sure that 47 00:03:05,511 --> 00:03:08,794 visitors have their eyes firmly fixed in the right direction. 48 00:03:10,355 --> 00:03:12,737 CAROL : When they're looking for squirrels, they walk around like 49 00:03:12,757 --> 00:03:13,097 this. 50 00:03:13,838 --> 00:03:16,000 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: Which is head lifted towards the sky. 51 00:03:16,100 --> 00:03:18,041 CAROL : And you're just going to headbutt a tree or trip over. 52 00:03:18,622 --> 00:03:19,502 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: So instead... 53 00:03:19,623 --> 00:03:21,364 CAROL : I walk for a bit and then I stop and we have a tap. 54 00:03:21,888 --> 00:03:23,930 And while we stop, that's when they can look for squirrels. 55 00:03:24,390 --> 00:03:26,652 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: And as Carol sets off, it's not too far 56 00:03:26,752 --> 00:03:28,814 before she gets to the first stopping point. 57 00:03:31,136 --> 00:03:33,017 CAROL : This is Dairy Wood. We're in Dairy Wood, so it's a 58 00:03:33,057 --> 00:03:37,121 lovely mixed woodland. We've got a beautiful canopy above us and 59 00:03:37,122 --> 00:03:39,863 we're lucky today that the sun is out and we have very little 60 00:03:39,903 --> 00:03:42,545 wind, so the trees aren't moving, which when we're looking 61 00:03:42,546 --> 00:03:43,947 for squirrels is really helpful. 62 00:03:44,647 --> 00:03:46,869 But we are quite close to the road here, but there is a reason 63 00:03:46,909 --> 00:03:49,931 why I stop quite close to the road, because this is lovely 64 00:03:49,972 --> 00:03:52,097 woodland. But then just over the other side of the road we've got 65 00:03:52,098 --> 00:03:54,599 lovely woodland. And our squirrels, we don't keep them 66 00:03:54,639 --> 00:03:57,001 here. And we're quite happy if our squirrels go that way, but 67 00:03:57,021 --> 00:03:58,042 they've got to get across that road. 68 00:03:59,163 --> 00:04:01,525 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: When a stretch of woodland is split in two by a 69 00:04:01,545 --> 00:04:05,228 road, that's what's known as habitat fragmentation. And for 70 00:04:05,229 --> 00:04:08,411 an animal that spends most of its life in the trees, coming 71 00:04:08,451 --> 00:04:10,533 down to the ground can be dangerous. 72 00:04:11,794 --> 00:04:14,356 CAROL : And unfortunately we do have casualties. So what the 73 00:04:14,376 --> 00:04:17,138 National Trust have done is they've put up a squirrel 74 00:04:17,158 --> 00:04:21,076 bridge. It's nothing fancy. It's two telegraph poles and a rope. 75 00:04:21,897 --> 00:04:24,477 If you imagine a squirrel up there, it's so easy for them to 76 00:04:24,478 --> 00:04:27,038 get from one tree to the next to the next without having to come 77 00:04:27,058 --> 00:04:29,579 down onto the floor. So if they can stay up there and still get 78 00:04:29,580 --> 00:04:34,680 across that road, it just gives them that opportunity to cross 79 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:35,981 over without getting squished. 80 00:04:37,401 --> 00:04:39,662 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: And when there are so few red squirrels left, 81 00:04:40,202 --> 00:04:41,782 every safe crossing matters. 82 00:04:42,923 --> 00:04:45,964 CAROL : So we start off on this nice manicured path, but we are 83 00:04:45,965 --> 00:04:47,364 going to turn into the woods in a bit. 84 00:04:48,780 --> 00:04:50,744 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: And as she walks, Carol likes to keep her 85 00:04:50,784 --> 00:04:52,026 visitors on their toes. 86 00:04:52,647 --> 00:04:55,031 CAROL : I start off by asking people who's seen a red and I'll 87 00:04:55,032 --> 00:04:58,037 get sort of maybe half the group have and then I say who's seen a 88 00:04:58,077 --> 00:05:01,041 grey and you'll hear the different responses.'Oh in my 89 00:05:01,101 --> 00:05:03,942 garden,' you know, they don't like them. And then I explain, 90 00:05:03,982 --> 00:05:06,564 well, the reason for that is there's about three million 91 00:05:06,624 --> 00:05:08,385 greys and only about 200,000 reds. 92 00:05:08,825 --> 00:05:11,046 And I say, well, let's see if you can tell me the difference 93 00:05:11,047 --> 00:05:12,927 between a grey and a red. I'm going to show you two photos. 94 00:05:12,928 --> 00:05:15,689 You tell me if it's grey and a red. And it's a trick question 95 00:05:15,690 --> 00:05:19,471 because it's a grey squirrel who's got a red coat. And then 96 00:05:19,491 --> 00:05:21,412 I've got a picture of a red squirrel with a grey coat. 97 00:05:21,892 --> 00:05:24,053 And it's really nice to point out the differences, like the 98 00:05:24,594 --> 00:05:27,796 reds have the tufty ears. The greys have got the white edge to 99 00:05:27,816 --> 00:05:30,833 their tail. So it's nice to show them those photos because they 100 00:05:30,834 --> 00:05:34,296 all go, "oh yeah, that's a red". And then someone will go, "oh, 101 00:05:34,297 --> 00:05:36,658 but it hasn't got the tufty ears." There's always someone 102 00:05:36,659 --> 00:05:39,140 who picks it up. So that's quite interesting to tell people as 103 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:39,400 well. 104 00:05:42,082 --> 00:05:43,663 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: Another difference is that grey 105 00:05:43,703 --> 00:05:47,946 squirrels are 25% larger and almost twice the weight of a red 106 00:05:48,006 --> 00:05:53,110 squirrel, which means they eat a lot more food. But how did the 107 00:05:53,111 --> 00:05:55,192 grey squirrels get here in the first place? 108 00:05:59,372 --> 00:06:01,634 CAROL : They were reintroduced in the 1870s, so we have the 109 00:06:01,754 --> 00:06:04,996 Victorians to thank for that. So people who lived in these lovely 110 00:06:05,036 --> 00:06:09,099 big houses would go travelling, and so they went over to North 111 00:06:09,139 --> 00:06:10,780 America and they saw these grey squirrels, and they thought, 112 00:06:10,781 --> 00:06:12,281 well, we haven't got any of those at home, we've just got 113 00:06:12,282 --> 00:06:15,463 those little red ones. I'll bring some back to show my 114 00:06:15,503 --> 00:06:16,764 friends how well travelled I am. 115 00:06:17,484 --> 00:06:19,946 And so they did, but they soon got fed up with them and just 116 00:06:20,026 --> 00:06:22,928 released them into their parkland. And from that point 117 00:06:23,048 --> 00:06:25,229 on, squirrels do what they do, they reproduce, they're 118 00:06:25,230 --> 00:06:28,312 multiplied. We started to see a drop in the number of reds, 119 00:06:28,313 --> 00:06:30,353 because at that... Point in time we would have had about three 120 00:06:30,393 --> 00:06:32,854 million Red Squirrels in this country and now it's completely 121 00:06:32,914 --> 00:06:34,595 flipped we've got three million grey squirrels. 122 00:06:35,576 --> 00:06:37,977 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: So here at Plas Newydd a lot goes into 123 00:06:38,037 --> 00:06:39,618 keeping the Red Squirrels thriving. 124 00:06:40,538 --> 00:06:42,980 CAROL : We're going to go in here now we've got one of our 125 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,601 feeders up there and we've also got this log which is where I'm 126 00:06:45,621 --> 00:06:46,762 going to go and put some food out. 127 00:06:48,023 --> 00:06:51,865 So the food I'm putting out it's sunflower seeds and we put them 128 00:06:51,925 --> 00:06:55,747 out whole so they've got the black outer husk on and our 129 00:06:55,767 --> 00:06:59,169 squirrels when they eat these seeds If we're lucky enough 130 00:06:59,209 --> 00:07:01,571 later and we've got a squirrel sat on this log he will pick 131 00:07:01,651 --> 00:07:05,354 each one up with his paws and then they bite into it and they 132 00:07:05,394 --> 00:07:07,696 split it and they just leave the husk lying around. 133 00:07:10,138 --> 00:07:15,703 So this is a bird-proof squirrel feeder. So most people in the 134 00:07:15,704 --> 00:07:18,526 country have squirrel-proof bird feeders but we're the other way 135 00:07:18,527 --> 00:07:24,050 around so our squirrel he comes along sits on there and then 136 00:07:24,070 --> 00:07:27,256 he's got to lift that lid up to get to the food. The birds can't 137 00:07:27,296 --> 00:07:28,557 get it but our squirrels can. 138 00:07:29,257 --> 00:07:31,297 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: And it's not just sunflower seeds that the 139 00:07:31,317 --> 00:07:32,618 squirrels have a taste for. 140 00:07:34,158 --> 00:07:37,739 CAROL : Pine cones, our little darlings, they love getting the 141 00:07:37,759 --> 00:07:40,560 seeds out of the pine cones. And what our squirrels do is they 142 00:07:40,620 --> 00:07:44,101 turn it round and they pull the little leaves off to get to the 143 00:07:45,441 --> 00:07:47,522 seeds that are inside. So they turn it and turn it and turn it. 144 00:07:47,962 --> 00:07:52,303 You've got a spiral pattern on these pine cones. And whether 145 00:07:52,304 --> 00:07:55,224 the spiral goes to the left or the right... depends on whether 146 00:07:55,225 --> 00:07:57,106 the squirrel turned it to the left or the right and that 147 00:07:57,126 --> 00:07:58,666 depends on whether they're left or right handed. 148 00:07:59,347 --> 00:08:01,068 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: It's all evidence to show the Red 149 00:08:01,088 --> 00:08:02,389 Squirrels are here and well. 150 00:08:03,689 --> 00:08:05,350 CAROL : I always like to show people those because it's 151 00:08:05,991 --> 00:08:08,072 something they can then go and look for after we've done the 152 00:08:08,092 --> 00:08:11,494 walk or next time they're out for a walk in some woodland they 153 00:08:11,495 --> 00:08:12,334 can have a look for it. 154 00:08:13,775 --> 00:08:16,277 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: But not that long ago they almost disappeared 155 00:08:16,457 --> 00:08:17,017 altogether. 156 00:08:17,918 --> 00:08:20,319 CAROL : Well they were always here but they were in decline 157 00:08:20,339 --> 00:08:21,880 because the grey squirrels were also here. 158 00:08:22,688 --> 00:08:25,490 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: By the 1990s, there were just 40 red squirrels 159 00:08:25,550 --> 00:08:28,632 left on Ynys Môn, something had to change. 160 00:08:30,714 --> 00:08:33,756 A group of local people came together to try to turn things 161 00:08:33,796 --> 00:08:37,158 around, working across the island to protect and rebuild 162 00:08:37,159 --> 00:08:40,821 the population. The grey squirrels were removed and Red 163 00:08:40,881 --> 00:08:43,903 Squirrels were reintroduced into woodlands like this one. 164 00:08:44,903 --> 00:08:47,365 CAROL : So this is the long walk, so you've got these lovely 165 00:08:47,585 --> 00:08:50,807 pine trees. So people do often report seeing squirrels in these 166 00:08:50,847 --> 00:08:53,981 trees as well. But you've got this fantastic view ahead of us, 167 00:08:54,522 --> 00:08:57,064 but all we're looking at is the straights really in front of us 168 00:08:57,065 --> 00:08:59,406 and two rows of pine trees, so it is a lovely view. 169 00:09:01,627 --> 00:09:04,089 Go and check this feeder here and then we'll go down to the 170 00:09:04,129 --> 00:09:08,553 hive. So this is Churchbank Wood and this is where the 171 00:09:08,573 --> 00:09:11,395 reintroduction was, so this is where they reintroduced six Red 172 00:09:11,455 --> 00:09:14,137 Squirrels in 2008. 173 00:09:15,918 --> 00:09:18,921 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: And it wasn't just here. A handful of similar 174 00:09:18,961 --> 00:09:22,222 reintroductions have taken place in woodlands across Ynys Môn. 175 00:09:23,863 --> 00:09:26,565 And over time, the population began to grow. 176 00:09:29,867 --> 00:09:34,630 Today, there are around 800 red squirrels on the island. But 177 00:09:34,650 --> 00:09:36,911 keeping them safe is another matter. 178 00:09:41,276 --> 00:09:45,361 CAROL : In 2009 they started to see red squirrels in the 179 00:09:45,401 --> 00:09:48,245 woodland on the other side of the Menai Straits. So they had 180 00:09:48,285 --> 00:09:52,150 crossed from Anglesey to the mainland. As I said earlier, a 181 00:09:52,170 --> 00:09:54,513 bit like crossing the road, we don't mind our squirrels going 182 00:09:54,514 --> 00:09:58,458 that way, but we don't want the greys that are over there, 183 00:09:58,458 --> 00:09:59,179 coming this way. 184 00:10:00,088 --> 00:10:02,470 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: Not just competition for habitat, grey 185 00:10:02,530 --> 00:10:05,232 squirrels can also carry a deadly virus. 186 00:10:05,892 --> 00:10:08,154 CAROL : I mean the main risk is that the grey squirrels carry a 187 00:10:08,155 --> 00:10:10,616 disease called squirrel pox. Unfortunately the reds don't 188 00:10:10,676 --> 00:10:12,957 seem to have any natural immunity to it and if they come 189 00:10:12,958 --> 00:10:15,999 into contact with it they'd probably be dead within two to 190 00:10:16,039 --> 00:10:20,142 three weeks. So we really don't want those greys back over here. 191 00:10:20,583 --> 00:10:22,684 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: But keeping Ynys Môn free of grey squirrels 192 00:10:22,824 --> 00:10:23,585 hasn't been easy. 193 00:10:24,025 --> 00:10:27,227 CAROL : Since about 2013-2014 Anglesey has been mainly grey 194 00:10:27,287 --> 00:10:30,649 squirrel free. I say mainly because they are only just over 195 00:10:30,669 --> 00:10:33,970 there on the mainland. They can get across, they do get across. 196 00:10:34,890 --> 00:10:37,030 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: Sometimes they cross from the mainland on one 197 00:10:37,031 --> 00:10:40,892 of the two bridges or sometimes they find another route. 198 00:10:42,952 --> 00:10:45,673 CAROL : So squirrels can swim, so they can swim the Menai 199 00:10:45,713 --> 00:10:47,874 Straits and that always amazes people. 200 00:10:48,694 --> 00:10:52,015 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: It sounds unlikely, but it's true because 201 00:10:52,035 --> 00:10:54,876 they're always on the move looking for food or new 202 00:10:54,956 --> 00:11:00,177 territory. And every so often that means crossing water, even 203 00:11:00,237 --> 00:11:01,278 the Menai Strait. 204 00:11:03,039 --> 00:11:06,240 CAROL : A few years ago there was somebody out in a boat and 205 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:09,741 he managed to get a picture of a grey squirrel swimming across. 206 00:11:13,083 --> 00:11:14,884 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: They swim with their heads above the water, 207 00:11:15,324 --> 00:11:18,125 using their paws to paddle and their tails to steer. 208 00:11:20,066 --> 00:11:23,487 So keeping them from getting back onto Ynys Môn takes real 209 00:11:23,547 --> 00:11:24,227 ingenuity. 210 00:11:28,752 --> 00:11:34,137 CAROL : So they tried a few things, one of which was they 211 00:11:34,177 --> 00:11:36,539 put some speakers near the bridges and played loud scary 212 00:11:36,599 --> 00:11:37,079 noises. 213 00:11:37,820 --> 00:11:39,521 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: Trying to scare the squirrels off. 214 00:11:40,502 --> 00:11:43,464 CAROL : But all the grey squirrels did. Was go behind the 215 00:11:43,465 --> 00:11:45,345 speakers and chewed all the wires, so they weren't that 216 00:11:45,385 --> 00:11:46,586 bothered about the loud noises. 217 00:11:47,126 --> 00:11:49,567 So then they thought, oh, we'll get the scent of a predator. 218 00:11:50,107 --> 00:11:53,369 Bearing in mind that grey squirrels originated from North 219 00:11:53,409 --> 00:11:56,951 America, what predator scent might be useful? So we have a 220 00:11:56,952 --> 00:12:00,412 little debate about that. People come up with a few suggestions, 221 00:12:00,413 --> 00:12:03,914 you know, wolves or bears or whatever. But no, they actually 222 00:12:03,915 --> 00:12:04,854 went and got tiger poo. 223 00:12:05,935 --> 00:12:07,516 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: But that didn't work either. 224 00:12:08,704 --> 00:12:10,486 CAROL : And so obviously we can't barricade the whole of the 225 00:12:10,487 --> 00:12:13,368 Menai Strait to keep the grey squirrels away but what we do 226 00:12:13,508 --> 00:12:17,091 have, our secret weapon, is the people who live on Anglesey. 227 00:12:18,052 --> 00:12:20,013 They love their red squirrels, they're very passionate about 228 00:12:20,033 --> 00:12:20,734 their red squirrels. 229 00:12:21,355 --> 00:12:24,637 They'll have feeder boxes in their gardens, they'll get to 230 00:12:24,657 --> 00:12:28,420 know the ones that come and visit on a regular basis, they 231 00:12:28,460 --> 00:12:30,562 get to know if they've got youngsters, they keep an eye out 232 00:12:30,563 --> 00:12:33,785 for any that look sick, but they also keep an eye out for any 233 00:12:33,845 --> 00:12:34,506 grey squirrels. 234 00:12:35,506 --> 00:12:41,418 If they see a grey squirrel, they report it just in case it's 235 00:12:41,498 --> 00:12:44,579 one of our red squirrels who's got a bit of a grey coat and 236 00:12:44,599 --> 00:12:47,681 somebody, you know, accidentally thought it was a grey, but it's 237 00:12:47,741 --> 00:12:47,921 not. 238 00:12:49,822 --> 00:12:51,763 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: Over on the mainland in Wales, they've tried 239 00:12:51,803 --> 00:12:54,665 something different, bringing back a native species. 240 00:12:55,265 --> 00:12:57,886 CAROL : They have also reintroduced Pine Martins. 241 00:12:58,407 --> 00:12:59,967 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: And it might just be working. 242 00:13:01,808 --> 00:13:03,549 CAROL : Because what they found is where they've reintroduced 243 00:13:03,569 --> 00:13:06,231 pine martens in areas where there are grey squirrels and red 244 00:13:06,271 --> 00:13:11,835 squirrels, the number of grey squirrels goes down and the 245 00:13:11,875 --> 00:13:13,376 number of red squirrels goes up. 246 00:13:14,517 --> 00:13:17,719 And again they think it's to do with the fact that pine martins 247 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,721 are native, red squirrels are native, so a red squirrel smells 248 00:13:21,722 --> 00:13:26,164 a pine martin and it's off. But as yet, grey squirrels don't 249 00:13:26,204 --> 00:13:29,587 recognise pine martins so they stay around so they're that bit 250 00:13:29,647 --> 00:13:30,387 easier to catch. 251 00:13:32,704 --> 00:13:34,406 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: And all that effort to keep the grey 252 00:13:34,466 --> 00:13:38,389 squirrels off Ynys Môn is making a difference. It's helping to 253 00:13:38,429 --> 00:13:41,672 restore a native species to a landscape where they'd all but 254 00:13:41,712 --> 00:13:45,355 disappeared. Which means that visitors will have a much better 255 00:13:45,415 --> 00:13:48,257 chance of catching a glimpse of that elusive red squirrel. 256 00:13:50,019 --> 00:13:52,581 CAROL : So what we've got, we're just so lucky, we've just 257 00:13:52,621 --> 00:13:56,344 checked the feeder, and we've got two squirrels chasing each 258 00:13:56,384 --> 00:14:00,547 other around a tree. You don't very often see two squirrels 259 00:14:00,587 --> 00:14:03,715 together. We're so lucky to be seeing this because they're 260 00:14:03,735 --> 00:14:06,859 normally quite solitary but to see two of them running around a 261 00:14:06,879 --> 00:14:11,385 tree like that it's quite possibly a male and a female but 262 00:14:11,386 --> 00:14:12,847 that's so nice to see them. 263 00:14:14,229 --> 00:14:16,712 ROSIE HOLDSWORTH: Because seeing red squirrels in the wild, 264 00:14:16,712 --> 00:14:18,935 thriving, it's pretty special. 265 00:14:33,324 --> 00:14:36,766 Thank you for listening to this episode of Wild Tales. If you 266 00:14:36,806 --> 00:14:40,228 enjoyed it, why not give us a follow or a review? And if you'd 267 00:14:40,248 --> 00:14:42,490 like to find out more about the red squirrels and their 268 00:14:42,570 --> 00:14:45,932 reintroduction at Ynys Môn, then head to the episode show notes. 269 00:14:46,292 --> 00:14:49,014 We've also got a Wild Tales episode on the reintroduction of 270 00:14:49,054 --> 00:14:53,077 pine martens, if you fancy a listen. See you next time.