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Problem with squirrels

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  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I don't think it's a legal requirement to exterminate them or report them, not one that's actually observed or enforced anyway.  They definitely are not vermin, this just resonates with the Badger cull, that was ineffective too.  The main hope for Red squirrels would be to vaccinate them against squirrel pox that grey squirrels carry, simply killing stuff is barbaric and almost always futile.


    I refer you to schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside act which lists grey squirrels as a species that is illegal to release into the wild. They are on the IUCN international list of 100 worst invasive non-native species and are regarded as a pest of global significance.

    You are correct that you don't need to kill one once you have trapped it but you can't legally release it so enjoy your new pet. :|  This is also applicable to charities etc that rehabiliate injured animals. The lack of enforcment is always a very poor reason to break the law.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    Oh my @ZeroZero1 I didn't realise the MISquirrel was on Utoob! I remember when it was first screened (I probably shouldn't have said that), filmed by one of the BBC Nature chappies in his garden. As I recall the Beeb had a dedicated Nature Film Unit in Bristol and produced some amazing footage - but that one won best comedy clip  :D
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The problem with introducing animals from other countries is exactly the issue described. If you don't bring the predators as well, you create a huge imbalance.
    There are very few worthy predators of grey squirrels here [apart from martens] and therefore it has a huge impact on our native wildlife. In areas where martens have been introduce farther north, the reds have started to thrive again. Greys are largely ground feeders, so they're easier prey for the martens. Reds feed 'on the go' and mainly live higher up, so spend less time on the ground than greys. I think it's cloud cuckoo land to think you could trap all reds and innoculate them. 

    We have to cull red deer here - because there are no longer any wolves, which were their main predator. They are now a huge nuisance in many areas too because they destroy young trees, making it hard to establish new woodland. If they didn't get culled, many would die of starvation anyway, because there simply isn't enough food to go round.  There would also be too much inbreeding, which would exacerbate any health issues. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • If you re-introduced enough predators to make a difference better get used to having indoor cats, as they are the first thing they would get rid of in an area. Maybe we would end up with the predators as the problem in the end, but would people be as upset at culling them than deer or squirrels. 
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    On balance though greys also provide a valuable food source for a lot of animals. With rabbits on a major decline again they're one of the most available small mammals for predators and scavangers to feed on. I imagine the fate of pine martins and birds like goshawks are tied closely to the grey squirrel population now. A cull of greys to help the reds could potentially have a huge impact on other species.

    I can't agree with the no kill conservation mentality though. It didn't work with Amercian mink for example and killing them off certainly hasn't been futile.

    and I'm not just bitter because squirrels ate all my nuts this year :s

    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I might well be wrong, but I think part of the problem is that greys are not preyed upon. Maybe they're too quick and nimble ? Who knows?
    Devon.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Not preyed upon enough. Foxes eat them though and the populations of pine martins and goshawks will only recover in this country if they have enough food. Road kill is probably the biggest factor though and scavengers often rely on that for food. Take away a big source of road kill and scavengers will look elsewhere for food and put pressure on song birds etc. Rabbits are in severe decline, badgers are being culled, hedgehog numbers are way down, scavengers are just lucky pheasants are so numerous. 
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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  • My problem with getting rid of squirrels one by one is that next season when they have bred somewhere nearby there is a squirrel sized hole in the eco system of your garden. So next year a young squirrel will take it over. I have no love for them but killing them one at a time only delays a problem until next year. Now if you could kill them over a wide area it gives other wildlife a change to fill these squirrel sized holes or at leat take longer for them to return.. but you have to go for quite a large area. Prefer squirrels in the garden to rats though


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