Two orphaned red squirrel kits are recovering at a Scottish wildlife centre after being found cold, soaked and alone in a ditch – a poignant rescue story landing on the first-ever Save Our Reds Day.

The month-old pair, now named Fanta and Tango, were discovered near Oban on 1 April by a member of the public. When a Scottish SPCA Animal Rescue Officer arrived, the tiny kits were shivering at the foot of a tree with no sign of their mother nearby. One was also nursing a suspected leg injury, believed to have been caused by a fall from the nest, or drey.

Their rescue comes as conservationists, campaigners and wildlife lovers mark the first-ever Save Our Reds Day today (Friday 15 May): a new national awareness day calling for urgent action to protect Britain’s only native squirrel species and the woodland habitats they depend on.

For Fanta and Tango, that protection began with a single act of kindness.

The vulnerable youngsters were rushed to the Scottish SPCA’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fishcross, where they were given antibiotics and placed in the care of the centre’s Small Mammals team.

Six weeks on, the pair have swapped their soggy ditch for a large outdoor enclosure, where they are now climbing, exploring and building strength ahead of their eventual return to the wild. Staff say the playful duo have more than lived up to their April Fool’s Day arrival and have been keeping the team thoroughly entertained ever since.

Both squirrels have been microchipped so they can be monitored after release. Red squirrels are usually returned to the wild at around 16 weeks old, once they are fully independent and able to fend for themselves.

Launched by the grassroots campaign Save Our Reds, backed by a supporting petition of over 80,000 voices, the new awareness day aims to put red squirrel conservation firmly in the national spotlight. While Scotland remains one of the last great strongholds for red squirrels, home to around 80% of the UK population, the species continues to face pressure from habitat loss and fragmentation, road collisions, climate change, and competition from invasive non-native grey squirrels, which can also carry the deadly squirrelpox virus.

Molly Martin, from the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project, said: “Red squirrels are a much-loved species here in Scotland. With their russet fur and tufted ears, they’re a real joy to spot when you’re out and about in our woodlands, and even in urban parks and gardens in some parts of the country.

“We’re lucky to have around 80% of the UK’s red squirrels here, but we are at risk of losing this iconic Scottish wildlife. Red squirrels are under threat of being replaced by invasive non-native grey squirrels, which outcompete them for food and habitat, and can carry the deadly squirrelpox virus.

“Red squirrels are also affected by habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as climate change and road collisions.

“Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is a partnership project dedicated to protecting and restoring populations of red squirrels across the country. We’re proud to have support from organisations such as the Scottish SPCA, as well as members of the public.

“One of the best ways anyone can get involved with red squirrel conservation is by reporting their sightings of red and grey squirrels on our website.”

Fanta and Tango’s care was made possible by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, whose support enables the Scottish SPCA to continue its mission of making Scotland the best place in the world for an animal to call home.

The public can also donate to the Scottish SPCA’s Wild Lives appeal to help give Scotland’s wildlife a fighting chance.

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is a nationally coordinated effort to protect the UK’s only native squirrel species, which could yet become extinct on mainland Scotland if current conservation action ceases. The project is led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust in partnership with NatureScot, Scottish Forestry, RSPB Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates, Forestry and Land Scotland, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, and Aberdeen City Council.

Photos: Scottish SPCA