A LOCAL wildlife photographer has captured stunning pictures of red squirrels apparently thriving in Balloch Country Park – more than 50 years since he last set eyes on the native species.

The animals have been caught on camera by James Duncan – who says it’s “fantastic” news to see them seemingly flourishing in the park once more.

James’s pictures come after years of efforts to help the native animals fight back against their North American grey cousins.

Red squirrel numbers across the UK have dropped dramatically since grey squirrels were brought across the Atlantic as an ornamental species in the 1870s.

Greys, as well as being larger than reds, carry a disease which doesn’t affect their health but is often fatal to red squirrels.

Greys are also more likely to eat green acorns, which decimates one of the red squirrel’s main food sources.

James told the Reporter: “My last encounter with red squirrels was in the late 1960s and early 1970.

“They were once a common sight in the park, but after the Great Storm hurricane of 1968 swept the area, the greys started to take over and pushed out the reds in the park, as they were larger and immune to a virus they carried, now known as squirrelpox.

“It’s fantastic news that our native reds are back in the area as it reminds me of our early childhood days in school with the ‘Tufty Club’.”

Set up by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the Tufty Club saw Tufty the red squirrel character communicate simple safety messages to children across the UK.

Conservation officer Mary-Anne Collis from the Scottish Wildlife Trust added: “We’re delighted to see red squirrels return to Balloch Park. Not too long ago the town was a grey squirrel-only area, but thanks to years of conservation efforts across the National Park we’ve received a flurry of red sightings since 2017.

“People often see multiple individuals at one time, including young - called kittens, so it seems the red squirrels have set up home again.

“However, grey squirrels can still be found in Balloch Park and red squirrels in the area are also threatened by the spread of grey squirrels from the central belt, so it’s crucial that we continue to protect them.”

Sighitngs of both reds and greys can be reported at scot tishscquirrels.org.uk.