Red squirrel has a splashing time

Visitors to Northumberland Wildlife Trust's Hauxley Nature Reserve are often delighted by the sight of red squirrels running up and down the trees to the specially-positioned squirrel feeders.
The swimming squirrel at Hauxley. Picture by Richard Maddison.The swimming squirrel at Hauxley. Picture by Richard Maddison.
The swimming squirrel at Hauxley. Picture by Richard Maddison.

So, imagine the huge excitement last week when a red squirrel was spotted swimming back to the shore from one of the islands at the nature sanctuary, and caught on camera by visitor Richard Maddison.

Alex Lister, from Northumberland Wildlife Trust, said: “We’re delighted one of our visitors managed to catch the swimming squirrel and shared it with us.

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“I’m almost certain all of our native mammals can swim and on this site we occasionally see hedgehogs swimming and regularly see rabbits swimming, but in almost 20 years working in wildlife conservation, I have never seen a squirrel swim.”