Squirrelcam launched at famous osprey reserve

THE Scottish Wildlife Trust has launched a webcam focussing on red squirrels at a reserve famous for its ospreys.

The Squirrelcam is based at the Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre and reserve in Dunkeld, famous for its breeding ospreys.

Last Friday, a female osprey who has bred at Loch of the Lowes for the last 21 years returned for an unprecedented 22nd season.

The camera will focus on the native Red Squirrel

The Squirrelcam has been launched due to incredible demand for the Trust’s other wildlife webcams and has been established thanks to the generous support of the People’s Postcode Lottery.

It is online now at scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/squirrelcam beside the Trust’s other cameras at its Falls of Clyde and Montrose Basin reserves.

The Trust’s fourth camera is the world famous osprey nest camera at Loch of the Lowes.

This camera is incredibly popular, especially during osprey season. In one day of feverish activity last year, 46,800 people accessed the osprey camera from 101 countries around the world, including Zimbabwe, Bhutan and Peru.

Since 1952 a staggering 95% of red squirrels have been wiped out south of the border, due to competition from the grey squirrel and the deadly squirrelpox virus.

Across Scotland’s Central Belt they have vanished altogether and they face the threat of extinction in Scotland.

Protection

But the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project, led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, is fighting back and has seen the iconic red squirrel return to parts of Aberdeen and Tayside where they haven’t been seen for years.

Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre manager Caroline Hendry said: “We know visitors to Loch of the Lowes love the red squirrel so we hope viewers of this new camera will see lots of them.

“It’s a beautiful species that needs urgent protection. The more people see of red squirrels, the more they want to save them. Loch of the Lowes is one of the best places in the UK to see red squirrels in the wild.

“Our Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project is really helping to protect them. Scottish Wildlife Trust members are a crucial part of saving this iconic animal for the future.”

Clara Govier, People’s Postcode Lottery Head of Charities said: “We are happy that our continued support of the Scottish Wildlife Trust has led to the creation of the People’s Postcode Lottery Squirrelcam. We hope people around the world will get lucky and spot a beautiful red squirrel in the wild.”

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