Red squirrel swims across North Yorkshire pond to retrieve acorn
A red squirrel swam across a pond in Hawes, North Yorkshire, to retrieve an acorn, with a wildlife enthusiast capturing the scene in photographs. The unusual foraging moment shows the animal using its tail to steer and carrying the nut back to shore.
The photographer, Alan Benson, said he had been waiting in a hide to watch red squirrels near a pool. Once common in the UK, red squirrels have been badly affected by grey squirrels introduced from North America, which carry a virus deadly to them; the UK population is thought to be as low as 120,000.
- A red squirrel swam to retrieve an acorn in North Yorkshire.
- Photographer Alan Benson captured the pond crossing.
- The UK red squirrel population may be as low as 120,000.
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Red squirrels are one of the UK’s native squirrel species. Their numbers have fallen sharply since grey squirrels, brought to Britain from North America, became widespread.
Grey squirrels can carry squirrelpox, a virus that is usually harmless to them but often fatal to red squirrels. Red squirrels now survive mainly in parts of the UK where their populations are protected or more isolated, and their total number is thought to be around 120,000.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Sweet squirrel swims for supper! Stunning photos show animal’s battle to get an acorn”.