As the Red Squirrel Species Champion in the Assembly, Clwyd West Assembly Member Darren Millar has welcomed action to boost red squirrel numbers in Denbighshire.  

There are currently fewer than 50 red squirrels in Clocaenog Forest in Ruthin, Denbighshire. Officials hope seven new animals, released into the forest as part of a breeding programme, will help to boost numbers.

Darren said:

“Red squirrels were once common throughout Wales, but there are now only three main populations remaining one being in my constituency in the Clocaenog Forest, the other two being Anglesey and Mid Wales.  

“Clocaenog Forest had 400 red squirrels in 1998, but there has been a steady decline in the rodent's population since that time. I am therefore delighted to hear of this breeding programme and hopefully it will be successful and more red squirrels can be released into the woodland in the future.”   

Darren was appointed as a Species Champion for Red Squirrels in 2016.

The Wales Environment Link (WEL) Species Champions initiative asks Assembly Members to lend political support to the protection of Wales’ special and threatened wildlife by becoming ‘Species Champions’.

The work of Species Champions is important in ensuring that Wales meets the international target under the Convention on Biological Diversity to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2020. It will also help to ensure Wales delivers on the ambitions within the Environment (Wales) Act and the Well-being of Future Generations Act.