Red squirrels make a comeback after 20,000 Grey Squirrel cull!

[Dick Glasgow]

Red squirrels make a comeback after 20,000 Grey Squirrel cull!

"Large-scale trapping and shooting of Greys has been carried out in the north of England, the last main bastion of red squirrels south of the Scottish border.'

However, the cull has been criticised by groups like the RSPCA!

"There is far more to helping red squirrels than trying to kill every grey. Measures such as habitat management, immuno-contraception and possibly vaccines must be considered as part of a measured and humane approach."

Telegraph Article: Red squirrels make comeback after grey squirrel cull.

Have you any thoughts on the rights & wrongs of the Grey Squirrel Cull?

Cheers
Dick

The Red Squirrel Forum

[Littlesparrow]

I haven't seen a red squirrel in years. If a cull of grey squirrels really would help the reds return then I would be in favor of it. On another point I have seen grey squirrels raiding nests for birds eggs, do red squirrels do the same?

[Miss Caretaker]

It is true that there is more to protecting the Red Squirrel than just culling Greys, but to give the other options a chance to work then the huge numbers of Greys surely have to be redued first? I would expect (without having read the article or researched the facts!) that these other measures would also be included after the initial cull. I wil now go and actually look at the story...
Jo

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Littlesparrow

I haven't seen a red squirrel in years. If a cull of grey squirrels really would help the reds return then I would be in favor of it. On another point I have seen grey squirrels raiding nests for birds eggs, do red squirrels do the same?

Red Squirrels will also take bird eggs- perfectly normal + natural behaviour + in normal circumstances not usually impacting on bird populations.

[Dick Glasgow]

Originally Posted by Miss Caretaker

It is true that there is more to protecting the Red Squirrel than just culling Greys, but to give the other options a chance to work then the huge numbers of Greys surely have to be redued first? I would expect that these other measures would also be included after the initial cull.
Jo

Yes I agree Jo, there must surely be a kind of a holistic approach to this problem. It's far too simple do label the Grey Squirrel as some sort of villain of the piece, without looking at it in the round.

[Dick Glasgow]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Red Squirrels will also take bird eggs- perfectly normal + natural behaviour + in normal circumstances not usually impacting on bird populations.

Yes indeed, & the same surely goes for Birds of Prey, who some numpties are vilifying as the major cause in an apparent decline in Songbird numbers.

In their case, loss of their natural habitat, I would suggest, has been the single major factor in a reduction in their numbers.

Cheers
Dick

[stigofthedump]

I dearly love living where I do, and I feel privileged to be able to see Red's not too far from me.
I support the cull. It gives me no pleasure at all to think of animals being killed to re-address mistakes made by some people.


Vince

[GilesBradshaw]

Originally Posted by Dick Glasgow

Yes I agree Jo, there must surely be a kind of a holistic approach to this problem. It's far too simple do label the Grey Squirrel as some sort of villain of the piece, without looking at it in the round.

we certainly need a holistic approach and culling greys is just one part of it.

[GoofyButterfly]

I am utterly opposed to a cull on both a moral and practical level.

Morally, I think it is disgusting to consider the wholesale slaughter of an animal following our mistake in bringing them here. I also have grave concerns about how such a high volume of animals could be culled humanely. And given the long breeding period of greys how they can be sure to avoid killing nursing females, leaving their young to die protracted deaths.

Practically, a cull simply will not work. Greys reproduce pretty well and those 20,000 will be replaced incredibly quickly. They would need to kill several times that number every year to even come close to keeping numbers down.

And I remain totally unconvinced that numbers of grey squirrels and numbers of reds are directly related. The biggest threat to reds by far is the destruction of their habitat but of course it’s much easier to slaughter some vermin than conserve coniferous forests.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by GoofyButterfly

Practically, a cull simply will not work. Greys reproduce pretty well and those 20,000 will be replaced incredibly quickly. They would need to kill several times that number every year to even come close to keeping numbers down.

but the idea of the cull is to target areas where reds are making a comeback - not to cull 20,000 nationally - thus the population in those areas will be greatly reduced

Originally Posted by GoofyButterfly

And I remain totally unconvinced that numbers of grey squirrels and numbers of reds are directly related. The biggest threat to reds by far is the destruction of their habitat but of course it’s much easier to slaughter some vermin than conserve coniferous forests.

you need to do some research - the greatest threat to the reds is the parapox virus carried by the greys - look at formby which had a steady population of reds until some prat introduced a grey , then the red population crashed. coniferous forest isnt even a particularly rare habitat in the reds range.

and as to the moral objections, how can it be moral to allow hundreds of native animals to die slow, hideous, and painful deaths from a disease that we introduced, just because we lack the stomach to deal with the consequences of our actions.