UK red squirrel project hailed a success

Chris Irvine, The Telegraph 5 Aug 08;

Red squirrels are being tipped to make a comeback after a successful experiment in culling their stronger grey cousins.

A project on the island of Anglesey in North Wales to remove the larger, more aggressive grey squirrel has led to a swift doubling in the population of the red version of the species.

The scheme has removed more than 7,000 of the non-native grey, leaving fewer than 50 on the island.

Environmental experts have predicted that by autumn the island's Newborough Forest will be home to 150 adult reds and their offspring. after being re-introduced to the forest in 2004.

Dr Craig Shuttleworth, a woodland ecologist for the Mentor Mon environmental group based in Anglesey, said the project could be rolled out across Britain, such was its success.

Red squirrels have been in danger of extinction since their grey counterparts were introduced from USA in the 19th century.

Compared to three million greys, there are now only around 120,000 reds left in Britain.

Greys are better at finding food and shelter, while they also spread the squirrelpox virus which they are immune to, but which kill reds.

They also damage trees and wipe out birds by robbing their nests.

The native squirrel is now restricted to Scotland, Cumbria, Northumberland, the Isle of Wight and the islands of Poole Harbour.

They are known to select their food carefully, eating only matured nuts, pine cones, small seeds and fungi, and prefer to live in conifer and Scot's Pine forests.

In April, an experimental cull of grey squirrels in Northumberland was crticised by the RSPCA as being "ethically dubious killing one species for the sake of another."