Vaccine urgently needed to protect red squirrels from a deadly virus, says councillor

Dale Spridgeon, Local democracy reporter

A vaccine is urgently needed to protect red squirrels from a deadly virus, a councillor has said.

Anglesey Cllr Dylan Rees will call for an “urgent” plea to be issued to the Welsh Government to fund more vaccine research to help protect red squirrels from squirrelpox.

He will raise the issue at Anglesey County Council’s full council meeting next week.

Following a serious decline in the 1990s, seeing a red squirrel in the wild was rare. Now, following re-introduction programmes on Anglesey, they are regularly spotted by locals and tourists in gardens and woodland, and in locations such as Newborough Forest and Plas Newydd.

Cllr Rees represents Llangefni, where there are large pockets of red squirrels in the local wooded areas such as the Dingle nature reserve.

He claims that the successful squirrel conservation work on the island remains under “constant threat” due to squirrelpox, a virus that causes skin lesions and a painful death for the reds.

At the meeting, he will call for the Welsh Government to continue protection of the species by commissioning a body to carry out vaccine research and to find a long term solution to the problem.

His notice of motion, to be raised at the council meeting on Thursday, March 5, states: “The pioneering Red Squirrel Conservation Project on Ynys Mon has proved extremely successful.

“There are now in the region of 800 red squirrels on the island with the largest pockets being around Llangefni, Marianglas and along some of the coastal straits.

“Sightings of red squirrels bring joy and excitement to locals and visitors alike. However, the success of this project remains under constant threat because of squirrelpox.

“Squirrelpox virus is carried and spread by grey squirrels, but it doesn’t harm them. When red squirrels are infected, they develop open extensive skin lesions and die a painful death within two weeks.

“In North Wales, 70-80% of the Gwynedd red population was lost in a 2020/21 outbreak. Within the last 18 months approximately 40 grey squirrels have been captured on Ynys Môn, and despite the best efforts it is impossible to stop every grey squirrel from coming onto the island. A long-term solution is needed before it is too late.

“In 2023 a petition was commenced calling upon the Welsh Government to fund vaccine research to protect red squirrels from deadly squirrelpox.

“The petition had collected 11,313 signatures from across Wales and was debated in the Senedd on the September 27, 2023. It was given cross-party support and consequently received ministerial commitment.

“To date, the only action that Welsh Government officials have undertaken was to send invitations to suppliers registered on the ‘Sell2Wales’ website inviting tenders.

“This was in July 2025 and the advert only remained on the website for five weeks and unsurprisingly no tenders were received. No further action has since been taken.

“Anglesey Council therefore calls upon the Welsh Government, as a matter of urgency, to take the necessary steps to commission an appropriate organisation to carry out the vaccine research.”