Merseyside red squirrels show signs of pox resistance
Red squirrels at a National Trust reserve in Formby have shown the first signs of resistance to the pox virus that has blighted the species, say researchers.
Scientists from the University of Liverpool has studied the squirrels at the site for the last four years.
They found that 10% of the squirrels had pox antibodies in their blood, suggesting that the squirrels had encountered the pox virus previously and recovered from it.
Here lead researcher Tim Dale from the University of Liverpool describes how he and his colleagues have studied the animals and the significance of these new findings.
Video by Miles Massey and Victoria Gill
25 Nov 2013