What beautiful squirrels.
Our grey ones here in the UK are North American greys and are considered to be vermin, delightful though they are. The native Red squirrels are smaller and very limited in distribution these days. They seem to thrive on the Isle of Wight, and the Scottish highlands. They have been severely affected by the "accidental" introduction of the Greys to the wild many, many years ago. They were original brought in to populate some of the land around a few stately homes, but of course they migrated into the countryside and being bigger and more aggressive than their red cousins they took over. The reds could not compete and were also affected by disease that the greys carried but were immune to.
Hopefully the conservation programs will help their numbers to increase, but while the greys are here in number the reds will be bound to struggle.
On another note it seems we are having a population explosion in Scotland of Beavers.
They used to be native but back in the 1700 they died out and we also lost their predators (wolves, larger wild cats and possibly bears... I don't know if bears eat beavers?).
There have been some trial introductions which have been well controlled, but a big landowner has "accidentally" let his captive group of beavers escape into the local water ways and without a top predator they have thrived. All very picturesque, but farmers are complaining that all their efforts at flood prevention are being undermined by the beavers just being beavers.
Who knows how it will end!!
Our grey ones here in the UK are North American greys and are considered to be vermin, delightful though they are. The native Red squirrels are smaller and very limited in distribution these days. They seem to thrive on the Isle of Wight, and the Scottish highlands. They have been severely affected by the "accidental" introduction of the Greys to the wild many, many years ago. They were original brought in to populate some of the land around a few stately homes, but of course they migrated into the countryside and being bigger and more aggressive than their red cousins they took over. The reds could not compete and were also affected by disease that the greys carried but were immune to.
Hopefully the conservation programs will help their numbers to increase, but while the greys are here in number the reds will be bound to struggle.
On another note it seems we are having a population explosion in Scotland of Beavers.
They used to be native but back in the 1700 they died out and we also lost their predators (wolves, larger wild cats and possibly bears... I don't know if bears eat beavers?).
There have been some trial introductions which have been well controlled, but a big landowner has "accidentally" let his captive group of beavers escape into the local water ways and without a top predator they have thrived. All very picturesque, but farmers are complaining that all their efforts at flood prevention are being undermined by the beavers just being beavers.
Who knows how it will end!!
Greeting from Wales.
Hwyl Fawr o'r Cymru.
This is the web site of the rescue I volunteer at.
http://guinearescue.blogspot.co.uk/
Hwyl Fawr o'r Cymru.
This is the web site of the rescue I volunteer at.
http://guinearescue.blogspot.co.uk/
