Squirrel pox outbreak confirmed on the Sefton Coast – how people can help to save our red squirrels - Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside

Lancashire Wildlife Trust are urging residents and visitors to take immediate action following the confirmation of a squirrel pox outbreak in Formby, warning that the coming weeks could be critical for one of England's most important remaining red squirrel strongholds.

A squirrel pox outbreak has now been confirmed in Formby, raising fears for a population that has already suffered devastating losses. During the last major outbreak in 2008, Formby's red squirrel population fell by an estimated 80%.

Carried without symptoms by invasive, non-native grey squirrels, squirrel pox can spread unnoticed before reaching vulnerable red squirrel populations. For red squirrels, the disease is fatal, causing shivering and painful lesions that make it increasingly difficult to eat, move, and see. Most succumb to the illness within just two weeks.

The actions people take now determine how far this outbreak spreads.

While feeding wildlife comes from a place of kindness, communal feeding stations can become hotspots for disease transmission. Lancashire Wildlife Trust is urging people to remove feeders immediately in Formby and surrounding areas.