Kelling Heath Holiday Park in North Norfolk has welcomed a litter of four red squirrel kittens who emerged from the safety of their nest box this May. The kittens, yet to be named, were born to parents Iggy and Evie and are a welcome addition to the Park's historic conservation efforts.

With the addition of this new litter, Kelling Heath has successfully bred 38 red squirrel kittens since joining the national conservation programme in 1999 as part of a scheme for captive breeding set up to protect this endangered native species.

David Martin, Countryside Manager at Kelling Heath Holiday Park located near Weybourne said: “We are overjoyed that Iggy and Evie have had a successful birth. A litter of four is incredibly rare for us and it is a privilege to watch them thrive. These kittens are the first at the Park since 2019, and we're thrilled that our new breeding pair, who only came to us in October of last year, have settled in well.”

The sex of the kittens will be discovered when they are micro-chipped and moved to another enclosure in a few weeks' times. Currently estimated to be around ten weeks old having been born in March 2022, Kelling Heath's newest additions will now spend their time outside the nest box getting to grips with their new home. The kittens will learn skills such as tree climbing, jumping, and foraging for pine cones from their parents, while exploring the canopies of their protected enclosure.

“It's a really positive sign that Iggy and Evie have had a healthy litter and we hope they will go on to have more kittens in future,” Mr Martin adds.

The kittens will stay at Kelling Heath or when ready, released to a nationwide conservation partner to help boost native populations across the UK. Red squirrels are an essential part of the regeneration of pine and it is hopeful that Kelling Heath's kittens will one day move on to another breeding project in a forested location.

Kelling Heath was one of the last places in Norfolk that red squirrels called home before they disappeared from the region over 40 years ago due to competition for food with the non-native American grey squirrel.

David Martin, Kelling Heath's Countryside Manager commented, “Conservation and supporting the biodiversity of the region remains a core element of our ethos at Kelling Heath. We are proud to be involved with supporting the legacy of an iconic British species like the red squirrel”. 

To find out the names of the kittens, follow Kelling Heath Holiday Park's Facebook @kellingheath or Instagram  @kelling_heath pages.

To find out more about Kelling Heath Holiday Park please visit: www.kellingheath.co.uk

-ENDS-

For media enquiries and images please contact Hayley Musson, PR Account Manager at hayleym@thissrl.co.uk

Notes to editors

Kelling Heath is currently home to three adult red squirrels (two female and one male) as well as the four new kittens. One female adult is soon to depart Kelling Heath to form a new breeding pair at another licenced breeding programme within the UK.

Since 1999, Kelling Heath has kept red squirrels as part of a national conservation scheme to help restore population numbers of the endangered species. Since then, it has successfully bred 38 red squirrel kittens which have either been sent to other licensed captive programmes or released into the wild where established colonies still thrive within the UK.

Red squirrels are an endangered species due to the loss of their woodland habitat and the introduction of the non-native American grey squirrel.

Red squirrels typically have between one and eight kittens. When they are born, the kittens are hairless, deaf, and blind and are cared for by their mother until they are weaned. They are old enough to explore on their own at around ten weeks.

About Kelling Heath Holiday Park

Set amongst 300 acres of woodland and rare open heathland in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty not far from the North Norfolk coast, Kelling Heath offers holiday rental accommodation surrounded by nature. Guests can stay in Kelling Heath's impressive woodland lodges, a luxury holiday home, or in a touring caravan or tent.

Kelling Heath is unique amongst the holiday parks of Britain with an on-site Countryside Team dedicated to caring for its special natural environment and running a program of educational activities for guests to enjoy.

Kelling Heath is blessed with a high-quality habitat that the park protects and enhances which benefits guests and the local wildlife. Kelling Heath is proud to be home to conservation projects for red squirrels and is home to an established bat population.

Kelling Heath is dedicated to the protection and sound management of the wider environment in East Anglia. All new build and refurbishment plans carried out include environmentally friendly initiatives and are planned with sustainability in mind.

For more information visit: www.kellingheath.co.uk

Blue Sky Leisure

Blue Sky Leisure is owned by the Timewell family which has operated holiday parks in Norfolk for over forty years.

The company operates under the premier brand of Blue Sky Leisure with divisional trading businesses of Blue Sky Homes, Kelling Heath and Woodhill. 

The registered name of the company is Timewell Properties Limited.