By Tim Saunders on
Royal Prince Charles has helped launch a new charity in the UK dedicated to highlighting the problem of Britain’s dwindling red squirrel population.
The Red Squirrel Survival Trust was launched in Cumbria to help protect the species, which is native to the UK and is now under threat from the growing number of grey squirrels that have come into the country from America.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Prince said: “I cannot think of a better mascot for our country than the red squirrel. Perhaps that might make people realise what it is that they are about to lose. The terrifying reality is that, within a decade, if we cannot work together to bring in the necessary funding for the task which needs to be done, the red squirrel could be totally extinct across the UK. The plight of the red squirrel and the honeybee too is yet another example of man’s short-sightedness in an increasingly throwaway society. The future of both species is a crucial test of just how serious we are about sustainability.”
To learn more about this charity and how you can support it, visit their website.
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