Farnboro John
Well-known member
And my point has always been that even if some control of Red Squirrels in forestry areas is eventually needed we ought to have Red Squirrels and not Grey.Not sure how that would work. Are you creating these male only breeders in the lab and then introducing them? Or is there some agent that you introduce into the wild population that turns them into male only breeders?
There was talk a while ago about synthesis of a drug that sterilised grey squirrels. Trials were being talked about.
My point has always been that the problems caused by Grey Squirrels, predation of song birds and forestry impacts, are problems of squirrels in general not just Greys. Red Squirrels were being persecuted for the same crimes for centuries before Greys came to the UK. Red Squirrel as a species is ICUN Least Concern. The funds used to enforce genetic purity in the UK squirrel population are much better spent elsewhere. There is also the fact that a lot the current emphasis on lethal control is driven by the UK shooting industry, who want to extend legal lethal control to all manner of UK wildlife.
In addition if shooters are out shooting Grey Squirrels they aren't busy doing inappropriate killing, so it would be good to see them do something useful for once.
Finally if someone doesn't take positive action against Grey Squirrels on the European continent then Red Squirrel will not last as being IUCN "Least Concern".
John