Death to the greys as exterminators get tough on squirrels

Published on Saturday 20 December 2008 18:38

WHO ya gonna call? Squirrel busters! A national network of exterminators is being formed to help "squeamish" householders have grey squirrels in their gardens killed.

A team of trained volunteers will be on call to dispatch the non-native creatures.

It comes after conservation experts claimed well-meaning residents are setting humane squirrel traps, running the risk of prosecution if they re-release greys back into the wild, rather than having them killed.

They warn that returning a non-native species to the countryside is not only illegal, but could also have potentially "devastating" consequences for the country's remaining red squirrel population.

Dr Mel Tonkin, who is coordinating Scotland's attempts to preserve the russet-coloured mammals, is attempting to get the message across to the country's animal-loving public that in this case you have to be ruthless to be kind.

The project manager of the government-backed Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels project, which launches early next year, revealed decisive action was being planned.

She said: "We will be looking to establish a network of trained volunteers to dispatch grey squirrels humanely.

"The idea is that if people are squeamish about the idea of killing grey squirrels, there will be someone in the neighbourhood who they would be able to contact to do the deed for them."

But in the meantime Tonkin had a stark message for householders: "Don't catch a grey squirrel unless you are prepared to kill it.

"By saving one grey squirrel and releasing it elsewhere you may be endangering long-established red squirrel populations.

"You may be releasing it into an area where we have spent a long time trying to get rid of greys or where they would pose a threat to red squirrels. It is also against the law."

But the conservationist stressed that grey squirrels should only be culled humanely, in ways endorsed by the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA).

"One method is running them out of the trap into a sack, making sure they are immobilised in the corner and hitting them over the head with a heavy object. The other involves using an air-gun.

"It involves cornering the squirrel in the corner of the trap. You have got to be patient and make sure you have got a good clear shot at the back of its skull."

Tonkin said they did not approve of other methods, such as drowning.

Stephen Willis, the newly appointed Red Squirrel Conservation Officer for North East Scotland, said peoples' misplaced kindness towards grey squirrels had become a major problem.

He said: "It is perfectly legal and very easy to buy humane squirrel traps. People want to prevent squirrels from eating from their bird feeder or entering their homes.

"The problem is that very few sellers supply any information about the responsibility or legal aspects of trapping animals."

Releasing non native animals is in breach of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 and people breaking the law, even inadvertently, face prosecution and the possibility of a hefty fine.

"We have had a number of reports of people catching grey squirrels in their gardens. They don't want to deal with it, so they free them in the countryside.

"People need to be made aware that they are not doing the right thing by keeping the grey squirrels alive. This kind of behaviour, although well-intentioned, could have potentially devastating consequences for red squirrels, like the one pictured below.