The Adventures of Rusty Redcoat

Hello my name’s Rusty Redcoat, and welcome to my website.

I’m called Rusty Redcoat because most of me is covered in a rusty red fur coat and bushy rusty red tail. I could well have been called ‘white belly’ because every red squirrel has a red coat and also a white belly. But who on earth would want to be called ‘white belly’. Yuk, it’s not a ‘cool’ name. Rusty Redcoat on the other hand is a very ‘macho’ title don’t you think ? It’s just great and suits me fine.

From being a tiny infant I have been very fortunate to have survived, so far, as I have had so many ‘hairy’ experiences where my very life has been threatened. All these are highlighted in volumes 1 & 2 of ‘The Adventures of Rusty Redcoat’ which my good and trusted human friend, Ernie Gordon, has recorded in precise detail where I have had more lives than the proverbial Cat.!!!

Having looked death in the face so many times, some in the company of my brother red squirrel Len Redcoat, I am so lucky to still be alive BUT, all these death defying heroics and life threatening escapades are nothing, even adding them all together, compared to the serious threat now facing ALL red squirrels over the whole of Great Britain where ALL our lives are at risk because of the deadly disease where the lethal virus is passed on to us by the alien grey squirrel.

Somewhere in the past, nature has been very naughty on two counts, one is that it allowed the alien North American Grey Squirrel to become the carrier of this deadly virus and secondly, nature chose the red squirrel to be the victims of this lethal, killer, virus. That’s not cool, it is absolutely CRUEL so what on earth was ‘mother nature’ thinking about to allow this terrible thing to happen ?

After many ‘close calls’ when making my way back from captivity to my home in the woodland park, near Alnwick in Northumberland, I very soon learned from my very illustrious (that’s a canny word) Father, Duke Redcoat, about the terrible situation now confronting all red squirrels and that my ‘near escapes’ were nothing to compare with the deadly parapox virus which has all but wiped out most of our English red squirrel population.

It did not take me long to ‘latch on’ to the seriousness of the situation and so, as my old Dad was getting way past his prime, I decided to take over, with Dad’s blessing of course, and the reasons are made very clear, especially in volume two which is THE BOOK WITH THE MESSAGE.

We cannot, for instance, allow the disease ridden English grey squirrel to run wild in Scotland.

I also soon realised that it would be impossible to save all red squirrels everywhere on my own which is I why I am calling on all children everywhere to help me win the battle.

We have the right to live safely in the woodlands, and gardens, of Great Britain without having our very lives threatened to the point where, and it is quite possible, every red squirrel on these islands will die in the near future if those responsible adults fail to do the proper thing now for they have failed so miserably over the last 50 to 60 years. So, it is up to you youngsters to kick some adult backsides and see that some positive action is taken without any further delay.

Now you know who I am and what I am about. I am just one little red squirrel who needs your help to save all my red squirrel family and friends everywhere. You can check me out absolutely safely anytime on this website.

Please, please help me create the awareness message all you can by spreading the word.

With my love to all ‘calm, cool and smart’ kids from

Rusty. XXXX