‘DRIVE Slowly – Squirrels” urge road signs in several parts of the Lake District. But a fortnight’s walking in Britain’s premier national park yielded not a single sighting of one.

As the cute creature depicted on those road signs hints – whiskery ears, furry tail folded tightly along its back – we’re talking red squirrels. But we could add the greys as well. Not one of those was spotted either. And let’s be clear. Very little of this fortnight’s walking by me and my wife was on mountain tops, above the squirrel line.

We’re getting past that. We wandered the valleys, both popular (Borrowdale) and lesser-known (Wythop). If Squirrel Nutkin was about he did a brilliant job concealing himself. Not only on the woodland floor. Our necks ached through craning upwards for sight or sound of him in the tree canopy, his preferred place where, at this season, he should be busy gathering nuts, occasionally dropping one to betray his presence.

Had we visited one or two places that actively encourage the red squirrel, like Mirehouse, near Bassenthwaite, where there are feeders in the woods, we might well have been lucky. But a healthy population of squirrels would be evident in the wider countryside. And their apparent rarity there comes despite an energetically-pursued campaign to trap and kill grey squirrels.

Are the greys really to blame for the seeming paucity of reds? Since none appeared where the red also was absent that seems questionable, to say the least. I believe a possible major cause of low red squirrel numbers could be – dogs.

More and more people now walk with dogs - not infrequently two. Among our favourite walks is a woodland path through Holme Wood, by Loweswater. Thirty years ago sightings (plural) of red squirrels there could almost be guaranteed. But visitors were rare. Now, though the wood is still not thronged, there is a steady stream of walkers, many with dogs.

The red squirrel is a shy, elusive creature. He doesn’t really like people, let alone dogs. The tragedy – and injustice – of the persecution of the grey squirrel is that he is a friendly fellow, willing, even eager to share our company. He’s happy in a municipal park. But the red squirrel likes peace and quiet, which is now threatened pretty much throughout the over-used Lake District.

For all I know, the red squirrel project might be boosting numbers. But against the ever-rising volume of visitors the population seems unlikely ever to flourish as formerly. Meanwhile the demonisation and destruction of the grey squirrel goes on. There’s a danger the Lake District could end up with no squirrels. Perhaps it’s better to let nature take its course.

STAYING with nature, what about Prince William speaking up for the African elephant?

But isn’t there always something odd about a Royal who goes shooting, as William does, urging conservation?

Not that a valid case can’t be made out that the two can go hand in hand but you can’t help feeling that Prince William’s plea not to shoot elephants, and rhinos, would carry more weight if he announced that he himself will shoot nothing.