Catching a glimpse of the royals off duty is a rare occasion, but the adorable moment when Prince Charles spotted an endangered red squirrel on his doorstep was captured and shared by Clarence House to mark National Wildlife Day. The Prince of Wales is Patron of the Wildlife Trusts, which is a group of charities that aim to provide a voice for wildlife in the UK. Animal lovers were delighted with the photo, with one fan writing:"To see a red squirrel is quite a rare sight but it's also a delight Your Highness, full marks for your efforts."
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Prince Charles with the rare red squirrel
Showing their love for wildlife, Clarence House shared photos of the British Royal Family enjoying time at their Highgrove retreat in Gloucestershire while counting butterflies earlier this summer. In July, they posted a cute picture of Prince George playing in the beautiful estate's gardens. Charles had previously revealed how he had refurbished the tree house, first built in 1989 for Prince William and Prince Harry, so that George can carry on playing in it. George also helped his grandad to plant two new trees in the estate grounds when he was two years old, proving that he’s inherited those green fingers.
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This isn't the first time the Duke has shown his love for the hard-to-spot red squirrel. During a visit to Glendelvine Squirrel Sanctuary in Scotland in 2014, he was presented with a large cuddly red squirrel to give to Prince George for his first birthday. Charles is also patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust and he set plans to build a safe enclosure for the squirrels in the Dumfries House woodlands in April this year. Red squirrels are a protected animal in the UK due to habitat loss and competition with the grey squirrel, which makes spotting them a special moment indeed. The Wildlife Trusts work is helping to save the red squirrel through awareness projects and undertaking habitat management.
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