Saw my first red squirrel in 44 years the other day. I honestly thought it was a fake one, till it turned its head. Right there on the boardwalk in front of us, Llangefni.

by elmachow

50 comments

  2. There is very few of them in the UK.  The majority of the remaining population are on Anglesey and some in the Scottish Highlands

    Which after googling “Llangefni” turns out you were on Anglesey 

  4. First one I ever saw was on a parade ground in Berlin. Scampered behind the CSgt and sat there looking at us. Half the troop were too busy looking at the squirrel to pay attention to the next command and we all had a sad morning as a result.

  5. Good to see the red population actually coming back.

  6. One of my childhood memories is my parents saying grey squirrels are bad because they’re American and are aggressive to red squirrels. Ergo, red squirrels are nicer and should be celebrated more.

    I have no idea if that’s true, even to this day (I’m 36).

    Edit: some hot takes and controversial positions about squirrels in this thread.

  8. They were everywhere then the filthy American ones turned up and ruined it.

  9. Lucky enough to have several reds who live in the trees at the bottom of the garden.awesome little fellas !

  10. I love the idea of someone seeing their first red squirrel after 44 years of life and your first thought is ‘fucker’.

  11. All our squirrels just have red heads and a little bit on the tail.

  14. I saw one at 5 in the morning when we’d been out for an all nighter before. No one believes me but I know what I saw!

  15. As someone from the Isle of Wight, it’s really strange to know that people have gone their whole life not seeing a Red Squirrel. You see them all the time here!

    Fuck the greys though, evil little bastards.

  16. It’s hedgehogs that seem mythical these days. And wasps.

  18. I have seen a few in the isle of white, it’s a shame the grey squirrel killed them off they are a lot cooler looking.

  20. The grey squirrels never made it past the highland fault line so most reds in Britain are in the highlands

    There was one spotted recently near glasgow so maybe they are on the way back in some areas

    More Pine martens could help keep the grey squirrel population down helping red populations grow back but they don’t live in cities so would only help in rural areas

  22. 42 – I remember the red squirrels in Melton Mowbray Park. Then first time I saw a grey one.. Then just greys… ☹️

  23. ‘made up’?

    Red squirrels are always happy tbf, and it’s lovely to see them too.

  24. Beautiful. I’ve been lucky enough to see a few over my lifetime. Hoping that now all the greys round here have been eradicated that they’ll eventually come back.

  25. Used to see loads near me as a kid in south east England round late 90s/early 00s but not seen in any for about 20 years now

  26. They are, locals just paint grey ones to freak people out.

  30. I’m a big fan of squirrels. When I’m feeling a bit deflated I’ll watch them in my garden for a few minutes, and they always cheer me up. Haven’t seen a red one in at least 30 years though.

  34. I hear they’re making a comeback. Good on them, up the gingers.

  36. I live on the Isle of Wight. Only get red ones. I love seeing them.
    When I see a big grey one on the mainland, it shocks me with the size of them.

  37. Congratulations. Come to the Isle of Wight and you can see them every day!

  38. Makes me so proud, I have a family of 3 in my garden (Formby)

  39. Grew up on the IOW, had the opposite experience when I moved off as an adult. Wondered briefly why the squirrels looked so ugly in Soton.

  41. That’s a colour filter of a grey squirrel photo! No such thing as red squirrels. They’re as real as dragons. 😂

  42. Bro I went to Serbia and they have black squirrels! It’s crazy, they have really long tuffty ears and bushy tails. Like extra fluffy and bushy! Everything was covered in snow so they stick out like a sore thumb! But so cool. I rate squirrels 🐿️

  43. It’s L’Oréal. She identifies as Red, but is as grey as the rest of us inside 😔

  45. They should never have disbanded The Tufty Club. Start of the downfall of society.

  48. My mum’s garden in IOW used to have a bunch of them, I would turn round and there would be one staring at me from the back door

  49. We were watching a nature programme once with my then GF now wife.
    A brown bear was coming out of hibernation and her response was…….. “are bears real”
    She thought they were just cute made up things.

  50. My sister went to visit a red squirrel sanctuary and accidentally ran over one; she was gutted bless her

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