After years of struggling numbers, the Mount Graham red squirrel population is holding steady.
A new survey from state and federal wildlife agencies shows the number of squirrels in the Pinaleño Mountains of southeastern Arizona held at about 230 over the last two years.
After the Frye Fire of 2017, their population fell to just 35, which led to environmental groups petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand the protected habitats for the squirrels.
And in July, a federal judge gave U.S. Fish and Wildlife until next September to come up with a plan for protecting the endangered species.
For years, the Mount Graham red squirrels have struggled with habitat loss, insect infestations and competition with non-native species. The population peaked at about 550 in the late 1990s, according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
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