Welsh Mountain Zoo celebrates Red Squirrel conservation achievements

The Welsh Mountain Zoo – National Zoo of Wales, a major supporter and contributor of the UK and Wales Red Squirrel conservation effort, is celebrating the annual awareness week (6 – 12 October 2025) of this beloved species.

The Zoo has been part of captive breeding and release of Eurasian red squirrels for some 35 years.  Currently members of the BIAZA Native Species Working Group, the Zoo manage the breeding programme for Great Britain and supports the reintroduction of animals into the wild.  The Zoo also provides funding to conservation projects actively preserving and restoring habitats, ensuring the species is able to thrive.

The Welsh Mountain Zoo plays a key role in the wider conservation effort, managing a central database of information regarding captive red squirrels in Great Britain. This information ensures that the babies, or kits as they are known, are genetically robust through careful pairing of individuals for breeding. This captive group is an ark population of squirrels that support approved re-introduction projects.

Amy Wootton, Keeper at the Welsh Mountain Zoo explained: “The Welsh Mountain Zoo has been involved in the Red Squirrel conservation programme for over three decades. Breeding and reintroducing animals back into the wild forms a huge part of the program and we work closely with other organisations, including BIAZA, NRW and Red Squirrels Trust Wales to support and monitor existing wild populations.

“Red Squirrel Awareness Week gives us the opportunity to really shine a light on this species, share conservation successes to date, as well as highlighting the continued challenges they face in the wild.”