Victimising Grey Squirrels
amacm...@aol.com
1. Native Species?
A key criterion set by the conservation industry for determining if a
species is "native" is that it should have evolved with all other
species within its own ecosystem and not have been introduced or
assisted by man to arrive at what is regarded as its natural location.
In short, it should have got to where it is by its own efforts and
evolved naturally. If man assisted it, it is regarded as
"non-native".
This is confirmed in Scottish Natural Heritage's website:
"3.5. Native species are presumed to be those that are present in
Great Britain by natural means. In general they migrated (or were
transported by other species) into Great Britain after the last Ice
Age, without the assistance of humans."
"3.6. Non-native species have been introduced to Great Britain,
either deliberately or accidentally, by humans.
This criterion is only credible if the actions of humans are
mistakenly regarded as outside of nature. As every single thing we
do, without exception, is a product of our evolution it follows that
if we transport an animal we find attractive to our homeland, it is an
entirely natural act - just as a bee might transfer pollen from one
plant to another.
Also, if it is important to conservationists that a species evolves
naturally over millennia in Britain to earn its "native species"
status, then it should be equally important that the same species
evolving in a different natural environment abroad, should not be
regarded as "native" to this country. They can't have it both ways!
It is well known that the grey squirrel was brought from America to
England in the late 19th Century but less known that ancestors of the
current population of red squirrels in the UK have been largely
introduced from various parts of Europe and are taxonomically
different from the indigenous population. These animals evolved
within a wide range of climatic and environmental conditions and
associated with different flora and fauna encountered across the part
of the range they inhabited, so for conservationists to argue that
these influences are not important is to argue against their own
concept of "native species".
Both current populations of squirrels, red and grey, have been
introduced to this country and there is no evidence that even the
earlier red squirrels evolved here continuously from the time of the
land bridge to Europe around 10,000 years ago.
A fairer method of determining whether an animal is native to this
country would be to regard all born in this country as "native" by
birth, just as we are, irrespective of colour, background or success.
To expect racial tolerance within own population but condemn and kill
wildlife on the basis of its ancestral background is extremely
hypocritical.
2. Habitat
If conservationists want to assist the red squirrels to survive, they
should be improving their habitat by planting suitable conifer trees
in which they thrive, instead of the political and identity-crisis fad
of wallpapering the countryside with native broadleaves that favours
the greys' expansion and the reds' demise. The need to plant trees
that favour red squirrels to act as a barrier to the greys' expansion
is well known to the Forestry Commission.
3. Squirrel-pox Virus (SQPV)
Conservationists tell us that grey squirrels are the "cause" of the
red squirrel decline through the transmission of squirrel-pox virus
(SQPV) but there is no evidence to support this. It is merely
speculation presented as fact.
It is known that the disease characteristics are similar to other
poxvirus infections and that most are resistant to drying. This can
allow infected lesions or crusts to remain infected for a long time
thus allowing the spread of the disease throughout the forest
environment by almost any creature that comes into contact with it.
Indeed, Scottish Natural Heritage admit they do not know the route of
transmission and that "possibilities include being passed by
ectoparasites, fleas, lice, ticks and mites which may transfer from
animal to animal in the dreys". They also acknowledge the virus may be
airborne spread. Research by McInnes et al in 2006 acknowledges "the
possibility that the virus is endemic to the UK and that other rodent
species inhabiting the same woodland environment could be harbouring
the virus
The Forestry Commission have admitted under a Freedom of information
request that "no routine testing of live red squirrels is undertaken"
and they "are not aware of any scientific evidence one way or another
as to whether or not there is a resistant population of reds out
there". So it is quite wrong to claim red squirrels have no immunity
to the disease. Indeed, recent research by London zoologists has
established that red squirrels are beginning to show signs of natural
immunity.
Early in the last century, out of forty-four districts in England
where red squirrels had the disease only four districts had grey
squirrels present. This suggests that SQPV has been within the red
squirrel population for around a century at least and that grey
squirrels are victims of a campaign of unfair vilification. Some
people even have the audacity to claim that SQPV somehow arrived
around the time it was discovered in 1983 but that is about as
ridiculous as claiming America didn't exist before it was "discovered"
by Leif Ericson - centuries before Christopher Columbus was born.
4. Immunocontraception
Immunocontraception was deemed immoral in the 1930s in mainland
Europe, when it was proposed against sectors of the human population.
It is equally immoral to use it against wildlife, as it could affect
non-target species and introduce a significant risk of unintended
consequences. Unscrupulous conservationists could also use it as a
weapon of mass destruction of any species in an attempt to control
nature. How long before this dangerous technology, if perfected,
could be used against the human population? It is not a route that
should be considered by right thinking people.
5. Culling of Grey Squirrels
Culling doesn't work except in closed environments such as islands.
According to research it would cost £200,000 per annum to control
grey squirrels in Northumberland's Redesdale Forest alone. - Rushton
et al (2002) - and would require to be repeated endlessly as greys
will quickly re-colonised voids, sometimes within a few weeks. Culling
greys across Scotland will be an expensive and futile exercise. It is
well known that culling can lead to an increase in population as those
left alive enjoy a better habitat and produce more young.
"Squirrel culling is not a new phenomenon. Some 60 years ago the
Ministry of Agriculture started to encourage people to kill squirrels,
offering-I remember it only too clearly-a shilling a tail. I became a
very wealthy young man at that time, as we had a lot of grey squirrels
in the area and I did not need a lot of encouragement to do something
about them. When the government at that time had paid out some
£250,000, they decided that that was enough. There was no perceivable
difference to the squirrel population." Lord Plumb, March 2006
6. Humane dispatch or brutality
What is Humane? "Humane" and "humane as possible" are words
frequently used by conservationists to describe the killing of
wildlife. So what exactly do these words mean or are they merely
euphemistic references to brutality?
Conservationists are currently engaged in what they call the "humane
dispatch" of grey squirrels by clubbing them over the head with a
blunt instrument. However, Scottish Natural Heritage's area manager
for Shetland rightly condemned the brutal killing of twenty-one grey
squirrel pups by a fisherman by clubbing them over the head with a
blunt instrument, by saying, "This is a shocking case. The degree of
casual cruelty shows that there is still a great deal of ignorance and
prejudice about grey seals". But let us not forget that his
organisation together with the Scottish Wildlife Trust are currently
engaged in the "humane dispatch" of grey squirrels by clubbing them
over the head with a blunt instrument. This amounts to gross hypocrisy
and double standards.
Putting aside the argument of whether the animal is a "protected" grey
seal or a grey squirrel, it is logical to say that if the method of
dispatch is similar, there is no excuse for describing it differently.
All sentient animals feel pain irrespective of whether they are
"protected" or otherwise.
7. Act of violence
Clubbing a grey squirrel over the head is an act of violence and is
being promoted and perpetrated nation-wide by government and red
squirrel groups. Scientific evidence shows that those who have little
regard for the welfare of animals are likely to have a similar
attitude to their fellow human beings. Abuse breeds abuse, and in our
ever-increasing violent society, what example is it to younger
generations that violence and killing is an acceptable solution to a
perceived problem of not being native to this country?
In reality, rather than in the arbitrary world of conservation, all
squirrels born in this country are as "native" by birth as we are,
irrespective of our colour, background or success. To expect
tolerance within our own population but condemn these animals on the
basis of their ancestral background is extremely hypocritical and only
one step removed from racism.
It should be appreciated that squirrels, of any colour, are not
"ours". They are independent parallel mammalian populations that
inhabit this planet the same as we do and should be afforded the same
respect and consideration to live out their lives that we expect for
ourselves.
The Grey Squirrel
Native by birth - Condemned by origin
Please read the website
www.grey-squirrel.org.uk
Angus Macmillan
www.roots-of-blood.org.uk
www.killhunting.org
www.con-servation.org.uk
All truth passes through three stages:
First, it is ridiculed;
Second, it is violently opposed; and
Third, it is accepted as self-evident.
-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)