Prince Charles Once Again Proves He's the Red Squirrel's Number One Fan
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When you're the Prince of Wales, you're allowed to be a little eccentric—and Prince Charles is taking full advantage. In particular, the heir to the British throne has a fascination with red squirrels, and he sometimes lets them run free in his house.
"He is completely infatuated by the red squirrels that live around the estate in Scotland—to the extent that he's given them names and is allowing them into the house," Prince William said of his father in an interview with Country Life magazine back in 2018. Prince Charles, who is also the patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, doesn't deny it.
"They come into the house at Birkhall and we get them chasing each other round and round inside. If I sit quietly, they will do so around me," he said in the same article. "Sometimes, when I leave my jackets on a chair with nuts in the pockets, I see them with their tails sticking out, as they hunt for nuts—they are incredibly special creatures."
Now, on Red Squirrel Appreciation Day, Prince Charles is celebrating the volunteers working to prevent the further decline of the species in the UK. According to the Trust's website, without intervention, the squirrels will "be extinct in England within 10 years!"
"Without your efforts, we simply could not hope to succeed in the task we have set ourselves. Generations to come would be denied the pleasure we take for granted in the healthy woods that are now threatened as never before, and of which the red squirrel is both the symbol and, by its presence, the benchmark," the Prince of Wales said in a message.
“As you will all know so well, these charming and intelligent creatures never fail to delight. I take enormous pleasure in having them around – and in! – the house when I am at home in Scotland. They are such inquisitive and delightful characters; they have even been known to hunt down a few of their favourite nuts left out in an unguarded jacket pocket!” he continued, again referencing how he lets the critters roam free inside Birkhall, his home on the Balmoral estate.
“I am so very grateful to all of you, as volunteers, for the crucial role you play in this ongoing battle to protect and restore a precious part of our natural heritage. This brings you all my warmest good wishes, together with every possible encouragement for the task ahead.”
For more information on the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, visit rsst.org.uk.
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