Red Squirrel Braved Pond for Acorn, Photographer Captures Feat
Wildlife enthusiast Alan Benson documented a red squirrel's determined swim to retrieve a fallen acorn in Hawes, North Yorkshire.
A red squirrel was photographed undertaking an unusual journey across a pond in Hawes, North Yorkshire, to secure a fallen acorn. The small mammal was observed by wildlife enthusiast Alan Benson, who was stationed in a photography hide.
Initially, the squirrel dipped its nose into the water, attempting to reach the acorn as it floated just out of grasp. When this proved unsuccessful, the squirrel entered the pond and swam towards the nut, using its tail as a rudder. Upon reaching the acorn, it clasped it in its claws and returned to land to eat its meal.
Benson described the experience as "fantastic," stating he had been waiting in the hide for extended periods for opportunities to photograph red squirrels near a pool. "To see it so close as it retrieved a nut was fantastic," he said.
The red squirrel population in the UK has faced significant decline. Once common, the introduction of the grey squirrel from North America has led to a drastic reduction in native red squirrel numbers. Grey squirrels carry a pox virus, to which they are immune but which is often fatal to red squirrels. The total UK population of red squirrels is now estimated to be around 120,000.
