Grey Squirrel Cull Poll!

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by epops

i voted yes but not if there like my arvatar seriously though there everywhere natural selection will eventually do its job but when ?

Natural selection is working in their favour their bigger, strong and more adaptable than reds, reds evolved through an ecological time period, during this time they did not have the competition of greys, so never evolved to cope and compete with them, humans introduced the greys and then the reds declined rapidly as they where not adapted for this change.

[epops]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Natural selection is working in their favour their bigger, strong and more adaptable than reds, reds evolved through an ecological time period, during this time they did not have the competition of greys, so never evolved to cope and compete with them, humans introduced the greys and then the reds declined rapidly as they where not adapted for this change.

true but eventually somthing will come along to thin them out as did myxymatosis in rabbits not nice i know but its bound to happen.

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by epops

true but eventually somthing will come along to thin them out as did myxymatosis in rabbits not nice i know but its bound to happen.

I know where your coming from just arnt to sure, these and rabbits are socially and ecologicaly very different animals myxymatosis has failed to wipe out the whole population of rabbits and if something like this did occur to grey squirrels theres a high chance it would affect the genetically similar reds.

[eeyore]

hmmm guys can i just remind you of the desire to keep this thread free of argument and just a straight poll - there is a thread running called grey squirells love them or cull them for those who wish to contribute to the debate.

[Stanc]

Yes 'cos they have destroyed my bird table and nest box complete with Blue tits!

[ChrisJB]

Yep, nuke 'em.

[Bob Copper]

I would cull them as long as this did not involve the use of either kill traps or poison.

[lobro punter]

i'll vote no.

[tucuxi]

Yes they should be culled and if some method of exterpating them in the UK is developed it should be used - not only are they are serious threat to the survival of the red squirrel in Britain and Ireland there is growing evidence that they have a detrimental effect on nesting birds in particular on spotted flycatcher.

Far more worrying is the failure to eradicate the grey squirrel in Italy - in part due to the interference of radical animal rights groups. Greys have reached the Alps and if they are not stopped this could lead to the exinction or near extinction of the european red squirel throughout its range.

[jordanno]

wat would be bgreat if there was a disease thta only killed grey squirreels we could give this to the reds giving them a fighting chance and maybe somithing to wipe out the disease that kills the greys so its sort of swapping round