Delmarva fox squirrel species restoration efforts in Delaware continue

Delmarva fox squirrels now have three new homes in Sussex County as a result of translocations during 2022 to the Assawoman Wildlife Area, Redden State Forest and Trap Pond State Park. The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced the news Jan. 20, on the eve of National Squirrel Appreciation Day Jan. 21.

The new locations coordinated by the Division of Fish and Wildlife add to known Delmarva fox squirrel populations at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and Nanticoke Wildlife Area, and more transfers are planned for this spring.

These large, silver-gray squirrels remain rare in Delaware, but the species was removed from the federal endangered list in 2015. Hunting Delmarva fox squirrels is still prohibited, so hunters should know how to distinguish between them and the more commonly seen eastern gray squirrels, for which Delaware has a hunting season. Photos and more information about DNREC’s Delmarva fox squirrel restoration project can be found at de.gov/foxsquirrel.