THE FATE of Scotland’s red squirrel population was the focus of a forum held in Dundee over the weekend.

Conservation officers, academics and other practitioners gathered at the city’s Swallow Hotel to discuss issues surrounding the threatened species.

They are bidding to develop a strategy to tackle a rise in the number of grey squirrels, the species native to North America.

Since being introduced to Britain, there have been growing fears over the threat they pose to the red population.

The two-day Scottish Squirrel Forum saw delegates updated on the ongoing Scottish Squirrel Survey.

They also visited woodland areas of Dundee to see how the city’s own red squirrel project was tackling the problem.

Experts say that over the last 80 years, the red squirrel count in the UK has declined at an alarming rate, with 75% of the nationwide total now found in Scotland.

The main cause is thought to be a deadly disease called squirrel pox virus, a condition the grey species carries harmlessly.

The larger appetite and higher juvenile survival rate of the grey have also been cited as major threats to the native red.

Last month, Aberdeen City Council and the Forestry Commission Scotland began a cull of grey squirrels in a bid to save the city’s red squirrel population.