Red Squirrel Kitten Rescued at Castlewellan Forest Park
Little did the Haveron family know that when they visited Castlewellan Forest Park today they would play a part in rescuing one of our endangered red squirrels. As they walked along the Crow Road, mum, Mairead, got a shock as a baby squirrel tried to climb up her leg.
Despite the family’s best efforts to encourage the young squirrel back to the trees, leaving it well off the path for a good ten minutes, the baby squirrel had other ideas. He had definitely chosen them as his rescuers and ran up to them again as soon as they came back to check on him. Taking the hint, the family carefully bundled the squirrel up in a hoody and carried him back to the park attendant hut for assistance. The baby squirrel must have known he was in good hands as he went to sleep and slept the whole way back.
Our park warden, Joleen, called Sandra from 2nd Chance Rehabilitation Centre to come and collect the baby squirrel, as she has a special licence to look after this wonderful and charismatic endangered species. Whilst they waited, baby was treated to some nuts, kindly provided by the Social Crew ice cream trailer, which he feasted upon whilst proceeding to melt the hearts of the staff in the hut. Once Sandra arrived, she confirmed that the baby squirrel was a boy and he was christened Tommy by the family. Tommy was then carefully bundled into a carry case for transport to his new temporary home. It is estimated that Tommy is around 4-5 weeks old and had possibly been blown out of a tree and was too big to be lifted back up by his mum, even though he is not yet big enough to fend for himself. At his small size he would have been a tasty treat for crows and at risk from curious dogs. We’ll be keeping up with Tommy’s progress and will eagerly await the day he returns to Castlewellan in October, all being well.
On your next visit to Castlewellan Forest Park, keep your eyes open as you never know what you might spot or discover. You can record wildlife sightings on the iRecord app or via the Ulster Wildlife website. The Forest Park is a nationally significant site for biodiversity and is home to many protected species; you can find out more here. Should you come across a young or injured animal, please contact the Park Warden team for assistance.
Alison Brady, Project Officer
Located on Forest Park View, Castlewellan, County Down, in a dramatic setting of mountains and sea, Castlewellan Forest Park has one of the most outstanding tree and shrub collections in Europe. The beauty, vigour and perfect shape of the trees in the National Arboretum attract tree enthusiasts from around the world.
