The Holiday Park's rare Autumn litter will help restore endangered native populations as part of a conservation network across the UK

Kelling Heath Holiday Park in North Norfolk has welcomed a litter of two healthy red squirrel kittens, born in late September to its resident breeding pair. An autumn arrival of red squirrel kittens is remarkably rare, with the species usually producing litters between February and June. The thriving litter of kittens will further the Park's historic conservation efforts.

The new red squirrel kittens will be joining the previous litter which were born in July 2023 and can already be seen outside the nest box in the enclosure, settling into their new home. In an effort to help protect this endangered native species, Kelling Heath has successfully bred three healthy litters this year, totalling nine kittens in 2023 alone.

David Martin, Countryside Manager at Kelling Heath Holiday Park said: “Welcoming a litter as late as Autumn is an incredibly rare thing and took the team by surprise. We're overjoyed at such wonderful news and we're happy to see the little ones out and about in their enclosure already.” 

Before the kittens go on to join other conservation and rewilding programs, they will spend at least six months at Kelling Heath learning everything they need to survive and thrive in the wild. With the help of their parents, the kittens will learn how to climb trees, jump, and forage for pinecones while independently exploring their protected enclosure. 

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 the introduction of the non-native American grey squirrel. Now, the red squirrel population is slowly increasing thanks to both regional and nationwide conservation efforts. 

“We're very proud to support the biodiversity of the region and the legacy of the red squirrel through our ongoing conservation efforts. We're thrilled to see the numbers of red squirrels increasing across the nation and are proud of the part Kelling Heath's efforts play in that for this magnificent native species”, Martin adds. 

To keep up-to-date with the kittens' journeys, 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

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For high-res images, please see here. 

For media enquiries, please contact Sabrina Cooper, PR Account Manager at sabrinac@thissrl.co.uk

Notes to Editors and Writers 

Press and image enquiries to PR Account Manager, Sabrina Cooper at Shorthose Russell & Thissaway PR: sabrinac@thissrl.co.uk

• Kelling Heath is currently home to two adult red squirrels (one male and one female), three juveniles, and two kittens. 
• 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, Kelling Heath's red squirrel kittens 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 in each litter. 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 their own touring caravan or tent. 

Kelling Heath is unique amongst the holiday parks of Britain with an on-Park 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. 

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