Western gray squirrel placed on endangered list in Washington state

Major wildfires in 2014 and 2015 killed a multitudinous number and destroyed vast swathes of their natural territory

A rare species of gray squirrel has been placed on the endangered list by wildlife officials in Washington state as escalating climate emergency and land overdevelopment rob the rodents of their habitat.

Only three isolated pockets of western gray squirrels survive, the officials say, acknowledging the failure of recovery efforts since unprecedented major wildfires in 2014 and 2015 killed a multitudinous number and destroyed vast swathes of their natural territory.