Death To Grey Squirrels

The plan to create defended reserves for red squirrels in the north of England is short-sighted. The European Squirrel Initiative proposal for total eradication of the grey squirrel is the only practical long-term solution.

The plan to create defended reserves for red squirrels in the north of England is short-sighted. A permanent programme of trapping and shooting using buffer zones will not guarantee success.

The European Squirrel Initiative proposal for total eradication of the grey is the only practical long-term solution. The benefits would be enormous. The decline in our songbird population would be reversed and large tracts of our broadleaf woodlands would be saved. Furthermore, our native, gentler red squirrel would return.

Eradication worked with the coypu, and is close to working with the mink. Grey squirrel numbers are higher, but so too is public awareness of the problem.

The UK should find that going to war in the homeland against an easily identified but highly invasive alien species would be relatively simple. It would also be successful.