麻豆社

Chris Packham relives programmes from The Living World archives.

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter was inspired by the red squirrel, a species once so common across most of the British Isles. But in this programme from 2002 as Brett Westwood discovers one of the few remaining areas of mainland England to regularly see a red squirrel was in County Durham and Northumberland.

Out competed by the introduced grey squirrel and affected by a virus they carry, the native red squirrel is as Brett discovers being steadily pushed to the north and western extremes of the United Kingdom.

With Brett is squirrel biologist Jason Reynolds, as the programme begins at a less than usual habitat for this loveable mammal, the sitting room of a local resident who has squirrels coming to her bird feeders. A perfect bird's eye, (or is that squirrels eye) close up view is guaranteed.

Producer Andrew Dawes.