*Corresponding to a Seminar by Dr Craig Shuttleworth
Dr Craig Shuttleworth started The Red Squirrel Survival Trust, a charity with aims to help conservation and protection of the red squirrel in the UK. http://rsst.org.uk/
The invasive Grey Squirrel species, native to North America has decimated the UK’s Red Squirrels by out-competing them for food and also the spreading of the deadly Squirrel-pox virus, a virus in which the greys carry but only affects reds. They also live in much higher population densities than the grey squirrels meaning that the reds are massively outnumbered. The increasing populations of grey squirrels over the years have all but destroyed the red populations, with only few population strongholds (mainly in Scotland and on Anglesey). 69% of Adults in the UK favour a culling of grey squirrels, culling on Anglesey has shown to be beneficial to the red squirrel populations there.
However much I would love the red squirrels to once again be the dominant Squirrel within the UK, when looking at the culling of the red Squirrels I couldn’t help but think of the great expense in which a campaign to eradicate the grey squirrels would cost. Research has predicted that in the UK the only way to cull the grey squirrel would be to engage a great widespread culling campaign which culled 90% of the grey squirrel population each year, due to their breeding in such high numbers. A campaign of this size would surely cost tens of millions of pounds, if not more and personally I cannot see that happening. I would be all for the culling of grey squirrels however I feel without such big investments the best in which can be done to ensure the survival of the red squirrels would be to further conserve red squirrel hotspots within the UK, such as Anglesey and maybe try to prevent the spread of the greys by having a large trapping effort at the bridge areas connecting the island to the mainland.
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