Cruelty towards grey squirrels is unjustified

From: Tracy Battensby, Easingwold.
A red squirrel.A red squirrel.
A red squirrel.
Read More
Red squirrels and the people ensuring they keep a foothold in Yorkshire

The current method of control used by red squirrel “conservationists” involves extreme cruelty towards grey squirrels (which involves putting the unfortunate animals into sacks and bludgeoning them to death) so any non-lethal method of population control has to be preferable (The Yorkshire Post, March 20).

However, red squirrels are not an endangered species, their conservation status being of “least concern” in their natural habitat of coniferous forests which continental Europe now provides. This habitat disappeared from Britain a long time ago, and red squirrel populations plummeted long before the grey squirrel was introduced to these shores.

A grey squirrel.A grey squirrel.
A grey squirrel.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The red squirrel had to be reintroduced from Scandinavia (hence a different sub-species) so any talk of “native” is misleading at best. There is no conservation imperative to artificially maintain red squirrel populations in unsuitable habitats whilst attempting to justify grey squirrel eradication. Grey squirrels perform the same ecological function as red squirrels did, and are much better suited to the habitat in Britain. The current sentimentality over red squirrel “conservation” is prejudiced in the extreme.