I’ll nut you! Squirrel launches itself at thieving crow as they battle over a stash of peanuts
- A squirrel protected its food in stunning footage taken in Auldearn in Scotland
- The crow was attempting to steal food for the red squirrels left by filmer Lisa
- Slow-motion footage shows the squirrel launch itself at the cheeky bird
This is the moment a red squirrel jumped at and battled a crow over peanuts left in its hiding hole.
Stunning footage taken in woodland near Lethen Road, Auldearn, Highland Council, Scotland, shows the animals fighting over the food.
The squirrel chased away a crow but not before the cheeky bird managed to sneak in a few nuts for itself.
A squirrel launches itself at a crow that was stealing its peanuts in woodland near Lethen Road, Auldearn, Highland Council, Scotland
The squirrel and the crow face off before battling over the
In the video, the crow begins taking nuts from a hiding spot in a fallen log before the squirrel runs down a tree in the background.
It chases away the bird before the crow returns, and the squirrel launches itself at it to protect its peanuts.
Slow-motion footage shows the squirrel grasping at the air as the crow narrowly gets away, before coming back to eat a few nuts.
The squirrel chases it away one more time and eats a few of the peanuts, but the crow gets the last laugh returning and stuffing its beak with three tasty treats.
The squirrel snatches in the air, narrowly missing the crow as it flies away to safety in slow-motion footage
The crow gets the last laugh returning and stuffing its beak with three tasty treats left by Lisa for the squirrels
Lisa, the filmer, said she has been feeding red squirrels in the wood for a while but the video taken on May 8 was the first time she had seen a crow steel the food.
She said:: ‘I’ve been feeding red squirrels in the wood but this carrion crow has found out and has been trying to get the peanuts before the squirrel but the squirrel isn’t having it.
‘I slow motioned a bit to see the squirrel nearly grab the crow in this exciting battle.’
Red squirrels can only be found in a handful of places in the UK, with a population of just 120,000.
The introduction of the larger grey squirrel – which carry a disease killing native reds – from North America by the Victorians in the 1800s led to a drastic decline in their population and they are now protected.