Normally red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris hide behind the far side of the tree trunk on approach but this one, near Quérigut was confiding and perhaps more concerned with extracting seeds from a fir cone.

The main predators of red squirrels are pine martens. In most of England and Wales, the reds have been steadily ousted through competition and disease by the non-native grey squirrel. Recently, it has been shown that where pine marten populations have been reintroduced and recovered, grey squirrels are much the preferred prey; this has led to a consequential improvement in the numbers of red squirrels. As the authors say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.