Two bundles of joy for Red Squirrels at Mayfields

The Countryside Restoration Trust’s (CRT’s) red squirrel breeding programme at its Mayfields smallholding at Themelthorpe has successfully bred its very first kittens. Launched just a few months ago in January, the program hopes to help safeguard the iconic red squirrels which are in sad decline in Britain.

The pair of squirrels at Mayfields, Wigeon and Warren, have bred two kittens which are approximately 8 weeks old now and are spending most of their time cuddled up together, often with their mother Widgeon in a nest box. The squirrels are in the care of the CRT’s tenant, Sarah Jenkins and her daughter Megan who have recently been elected Vive-Chair and Education Officer (respectively) of The East Anglian Red Squirrel Breeding Group.

Megan says: “We are so excited. Widgeon has been working extremely hard for the past few months and everyone at Mayfields is very proud of her. Both kittens are doing great, looking really well and healthy with vivid red coats, and bright eyes and eating lots! Sweetcorn and cucumber are particularly popular as are a selection of nuts and seeds.”

The CRT are hoping that at least one of the kittens is female to help carry on the captive breeding work of The East Anglian Red Squirrel Breeding Group in the near future. The offspring will eventually go to one of the various red squirrel re-introduction programmes that are taking place, and are planned, for various parts of Britain.

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