Here in Belvoir Forest Park in Belfast the increasingly rare red squirrels are still very much in evidence, however despite many attempts at conservation, their numbers continue to dwindle.

This isn’t the first time these creatures were on the wane in Ireland, in the 1700s they were thought to be extinct due to the combined effects of hunting for their fur and extensive forest clearance.

After being reintroduced from England in the 1800s they spread quite rapidly – until 1911 when the introduction of the American grey squirrel in County Longford contributed to a decline in their numbers which continues to the present day.

There are several reasons for the grey squirrel's dominance over the red.

One of these is due to diet: greys are able to eat unripe foods such as hazelnut in October while reds can only eat ripened nuts.

Consequently, greys put on more fat during the winter which in turn prolongs survival in woodlands when frost or snow reduces access to seeds.

With both in competition for the same food, the reds are more likely to suffer from food shortages over the winter months where grey squirrels are present.

Added to that there is susceptibility of red squirrels to the potentially fatal parapox virus which doesn’t affect greys – indeed, they are thought to be a carrier of the disease.

This competition from the grey squirrels has resulted in the displacement of red squirrels from broadleaved habitat within 15 years.