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Mass killing of squirrels

Tufty | 16.04.2008 09:05 | Animal Liberation

The idiots are at it again. Killing squirrels

There's a mass killing of squirrels in Northumbria. The killing is set to move south as the "final solution" removes all grey squirrels from each area.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7348017.stm

Tufty

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question?

16.04.2008 10:01

Are your red squirrels like ours over here? (I know your gray invaders are ours, but don't know if your reds and our reds have similar life styles).

If they are similar -- not just in color and size but in how they live, then the fact that they are being displaced by the grays is a HABITAT problem. Here, under natural conditions, the larger grays with their "bury single nuts" strategy and the smaller, quicker, more aggressive (for their size) reds with their "hording" strategy coexist IN THE WILD. In urban/suburban settings the grays totally displace the reds as the larger grays can compete with rats for human left food scraps and the reds can't do that effectively.

In other words, your reds may be being displaced precisely because they make poor "town" squirrels compared to the grays and you have too little wild habitat left.

Mike Novack
mail e-mail: stepbystepfarm mtdata.com

Resistence

16.04.2008 13:44

It has been reported on the ground and up the trees that resistence cells are being formed. Squirrels, led by the mysterious 'Tufty', are said to have been making contact with other resistence groups thoroughout Europe. Large movements of nuts are also said to be taking place.

S. Nutkin

And...?

16.04.2008 13:47

What is inherently wrong about culling an invasive species to protect a native species? If it stops the irradication of red squirrels, then I don't see a problem with it.

Unless you're just arguing that it's an ineffective technique.

MonkeyBot 5000

Re: MonkeyBot

16.04.2008 14:58

Here, here.

a conservationist as opposed to a "animal rights" nutter

Ted Turner mouth of the South????

16.04.2008 15:38

This is the pillock who twisted the words of scientists including UK's Schelnhuber to claim that emissions control efforts 'must' include a big shift to biofuels, and being a large landowner like Al Gore will have gained handsomely from such campaigning.

Fair enough population's also an issue but the cheek of it to go on about it now rather than retract his support for agrofuels, which Southern NGOs certainly didn't support

Onlyme

Monkey consvervationist!

16.04.2008 17:10

Not a constructive comment I know, but I keep reading your postings Monkeybot 5000 or whatever your name is and you really get on my nerves!

And I hate conservationists cus they love killing things!

So there!

pro cull, could castrate and release the boys though???

16.04.2008 17:14

Culling is the BEST solution to save a species on the verge of localized EXTINCTION. Alternatives, leaving poisons, releasing elsewhere (where???), ..., ... JUST WONT WORK
Even by castrating and releasing the males is like letting the bullies into the playground

ecologist- vegetarian- pro cull

What's really happening

16.04.2008 18:42

Hang on. What's really happening here is that twenty or so years after red squirrels were culled because they were seen as a pest, they are now culling 'foreign' grey squirrels, so that another bunch of squirrels, red ones imported from Scandinavia can gain the upper hand. Guess what'll happen next.

Platypus Bill

Grey's aren't the cause

16.04.2008 19:00

The cause is not Grey squirrels it's the destruction of Reds habitats by us. Talking of "killing invasive species" sounds very much like the fascist would say "lets cull all these invading immigrants".

Conservationists always seem to love killing. Grey's just seem to be the target of the moment. How long before "conservationists" want to cull wild boar?

Leave the Greys alone. Failing that join forces with the hunt scum as they always sem to want to kill wild animals

Someone

re;ecologist vegetarian pro cull

16.04.2008 19:07

Says it all you being a vegetarian!!

vegan x

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Ted Turner mouth of the South????

16.04.2008 22:00

Onlyme

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Sorry, my above comments meant for post 396721

16.04.2008 23:57

- now done.

Onlyme

Grey squirrels

17.04.2008 12:45

I'm surprised that noone's pointed out that the grey squirrels invaded the UK from America, and have been an occupying force for about a century.

There's probably a Chomskyite squirrel discussing the grey squirrel's hegemony right now.

Norville B

Ever heard of squirrel pox?

17.04.2008 14:24

Grey squirrels carry this virus and it does nothing to them, but this virus is fatal to the reds. As a result there is a major attempt to stop the greys from Cumbria getting to the one of the few pockets of south-west Scotland where reds are common. If culling the greys is what it takes to stop the population of reds falling, then it has my total support.

Also it is well documented that greys are unfortunately more capable of out competing the reds in the same habitat, resulting in the reds being overwhelmed and displaced.

Invasive species are a serious problem, if you want a more obvious example have a look at what the cane toad and the fox has done to the native ecosystems of Australia.

a conservationist as opposed to an "animal rights" nutter

Culling

17.04.2008 14:56

If humans are the invasive species, maybe human culling is the answer. Or just castration. Ouch!!!

Maybe slightly extreme

Arrogance

17.04.2008 16:08

Unbelievable, the arrogance of human beings. We wipe out millions of species, through direct culling or indirectly through habitat destruction, leaving thousands of other species endangered or almost extinct. We burn down the world's forests (read that report about Guatemala saying there is only 10% of the forests remaining now?), kill anything we can sell to wear or that eats the same things as humans (like seals) and then decide we want a red squirrel to survive over a grey one!
How dare we inflict climate catastrophe on the world and then pick and choose what's cute over what may have a small chance of surviving - grey squirrels are showing how resiliant they can be - hurray!
And those of you idiots still stuffing their faces with meat (and dairy) may be glad of their abundant numbers when the shit hits the fan and you can't get your hands on those burgers raised on ex-rainforest land.

woody

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Mass killing of squirrels

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question?

Resistence

And...?

Re: MonkeyBot

Ted Turner mouth of the South????

Monkey consvervationist!

pro cull, could castrate and release the boys though???

What's really happening

Grey's aren't the cause

re;ecologist vegetarian pro cull

Hidden Comment

Ted Turner mouth of the South????

Hidden Comment

Sorry, my above comments meant for post 396721

Grey squirrels

Ever heard of squirrel pox?

Culling

Arrogance

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