Goal Is To Rebuild Fox Squirrel Population In South Carolina

As urban centers and other developments have come in, the fox squirrels' habitat has become fragmented and squirrel populations have become isolated, Small said. So we end up with these little islands of squirrel populations that are isolated and, if they are extirpated, there is no way for the squirrels to restock themselves. As with many animals, once the habitat goes, so goes the animal. Stands of longleaf pine trees are being planted on the Research and Education Center's grounds to provide a habitat for fox squirrels. Heaton said plans are to release 20 to 30 adult fox squirrels at the Sandhill REC soon. This will allow researchers to determine the best methods to use in reintroducing the fox squirrel population in South Carolina.