TWO little red squirrels are recovering after being found astray in a ditch in Argyll.
The soaking wet pair were discovered all alone, with no sign of an adult, and taken into the care of the Scottish SPCA.
The young squirrels have been named Fanta and Tango and, after a course of antibiotics, are continuing to be nursed back to full health by the organisation’s Small Mammals Team.
It is thought the kits may have tumbled from their nest, known as a drey, and one of the young squirrels was thought to have an injured leg, which may have been due to a fall.
The Scottish SPCA rescued the pair, which were around a month old, and they were taken to the charity’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fishcross, Clackmannanshire.
Molly Martin, from the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project, said: “Red squirrels are a much-loved species here in Scotland.
“With their russet fur and tufted ears, they’re a real joy to spot when you’re out and about in our woodlands, and even in urban parks and gardens in some parts of the country.
“We’re lucky to have around 80% of the UK’s red squirrels here, but we are at risk of losing this iconic Scottish wildlife.
“Red squirrels are under threat of being replaced by invasive non-native grey squirrels, which outcompete them for food and habitat, and can carry the deadly squirrelpox virus.”
Fanta and Tango, both male, have recently been moved to the large outdoor enclosure at the rescue centre where they can continue their recovery and explore safely.
The Scottish SPCA releases red squirrels when they are around 16 weeks old, as by that stage they are fully independent in the wild.
The two kits have both been microchipped and that will help the charity monitor them long after they have been released.
