Red Squirrels Rebound in Aberdeen as Grey Numbers Collapse
Aberdeen is celebrating a major conservation milestone as red squirrels make a remarkable comeback across the city โ while sightings of invasive grey squirrels have dropped to near zero.
So far in 2025, only one grey squirrel has been caught in Aberdeen, compared to six in the same period in 2024 โ a striking sign of success for the team behind Saving Scotlandโs Red Squirrels (SSRS), a project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Grey squirrels, a non-native species first recorded in Aberdeen in 1971, had nearly wiped out the city’s red squirrel population by 2009. Greys outcompete reds for food and habitat and carry squirrelpox โ a disease fatal to reds but harmless to greys.
But that trend has now been reversed.
Thanks to a dedicated effort by SSRS, Aberdeen City Council, and local volunteers and residents, red squirrels โ Scotlandโs only native squirrel species โ are once again thriving in safe urban and woodland areas.
โIt’s brilliant to see such a turnaround for red squirrels in recent decades,โ said James Kennedy, Eradication Operations Lead for SSRS. โWe now have 44 volunteers in Aberdeen, and local support has been key to the projectโs success.โ
Recent grey squirrel sightings in Kincorth and Rubislaw Den are being monitored closely, with rapid responses from SSRS teams to protect local red populations.
An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson added:
โWeโre proud to support this vital conservation work and will continue to plant native trees and raise awareness to help the red squirrel population flourish.โ
If no breeding grey squirrels are detected for two consecutive years, Aberdeen could be officially declared grey squirrel-free โ a first for a UK city of its size.
The SSRS project is funded in part by the Scottish Governmentโs Nature Restoration Fund, administered by NatureScot.
Residents are encouraged to report squirrel sightings โ red or grey โ via the SSRS Hub.
To learn more about how to get involved, visit the Saving Scotlandโs Red Squirrels website.