Grey Squirrels, Anglesey (1 Viewer)

[Andy Adcock]

Red squirrels: Island fights back invasion by their grey cousins

A conservationist is on a mission to keep a Welsh island a sanctuary for native red squirrels.

www.bbc.com

 

[sudsdetailing]

In the late 90s / early noughties officials placed a bounty on the greys ( £1 per tail ) which encouraged their eradication, but you only need afew to remain to breed and rebuild the population. That said the culling must have been very thorough as it seems to have taken 20+ years to become problematical again

 

[Farnboro John]

In the late 90s / early noughties officials placed a bounty on the greys ( £1 per tail ) which encouraged their eradication, but you only need afew to remain to breed and rebuild the population. That said the culling must have been very thorough as it seems to have taken 20+ years to become problematical again

The real problem is that Anglesey is not an island. The bridges are ideal squirrel highways so top-ups from the mainland are inevitable even after total eradication.

Parallels have been seen elsewhere in the UK with Pine Martens now on Skye radiating from the bridge when historically they were absent.

John

 

[pianoman]

The real problem is that Anglesey is not an island. The bridges are ideal squirrel highways so top-ups from the mainland are inevitable even after total eradication.

Parallels have been seen elsewhere in the UK with Pine Martens now on Skye radiating from the bridge when historically they were absent.

John

Actually Pine Martens would be a good thing in this case, since Reds hold out better when there are Pine Martens in the mix. Reds have evolved to cope with them while Greys have not.

 

[Farnboro John]

Actually Pine Martens would be a good thing in this case, since Reds hold out better when there are Pine Martens in the mix. Reds have evolved to cope with them while Greys have not.

Agreed, but the point I was making is that bridges stop islands being islands and result in changes to the environment over which man has no control and no insight.

John

 

[pianoman]

Yes I see