Man is part of nature

Hardly a day passes without some conservation organisation condemning an animal or plant as being a non-native "alien" and baying for its extermination.

As one who opposes the current campaign of hatred being directed against grey squirrels, resulting in the slaughter of tens of thousands of these friendly and amusing animals throughout the UK, what basis do conservationists have for claiming an animal is non-native.

Scottish Natural Heritage's website defines "non-native" species as having "been introduced to Great Britain, either deliberately or accidentally, by humans". This wilfully excludes the human animal from nature and ignores the fact that everything we do is a product of our evolutionary pathway and as natural as the activities of all other species on the planet.

SNH's anthropocentric view of nature is being presented to the public as fact to suit their agenda, when in reality it is profoundly flawed fiction.

ANGUS MACMILLAN

Meikle Boturich

near Balloch, Dunbartonshire