Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE) has confirmed that native red squirrels are still present across Cumbria, Northumberland, north Yorkshire, and in Lancashire and Merseyside, despite a small decrease in certain regions.
The annual survey aims to check around 250 sites.
According to the survey, red squirrels were located in 50 per cent of the surveyed locations, a drop from the previous year's findings of 53.2 per cent.
Conversely, the grey squirrels' presence witnessed an increase from the previous year, being detected in 62.3 per cent of sites - an increase of 5.3 per cent compared to last year.
In Northumberland, grey detection continues to be around 20 per cent higher than red detection.
However, Northumberland National Park sees red squirrel detection remaining slightly higher than grey.
RSNE project officer, Abbie McCourt, said: “Each year we eagerly await the results of our spring monitoring programme which are integral for helping us see the impact of our collective conservation efforts. The substantial increase in grey squirrel presence this year is concerning, however we are not disheartened and hope it can help build a case for further funding and support for red squirrels in areas that need it."
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