Nutty idea? Contraceptives for squirrels in UK being mulled by scientists
- Grey squirrels have been a nuisance since their introduction from US in the 1800s – there are now 2.7 million in UK compared to140,000 of native red squirrels
- They compete for food and carry squirrelpox virus, which is almost always fatal to the smaller reds – they also threaten the health and survival of young trees
They have been the scourge of trees and the native red squirrel in Britain since their introduction from the United States in the 1870s.
But government scientists are now planning drastic action to cut the number of grey squirrels – by lacing their food with an oral contraceptive.
Before going that far, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has been conducting trials of special feeding boxes in woodlands of northern England and Wales.
Some 70 per cent of the grey squirrel population have used the boxes, which have a weighted gate and keep most other animals out.
The chief scientific adviser at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Gideon Henderson, said the trials had great potential for the non-lethal management of grey squirrel numbers.
“It will help red squirrels … expand back into their natural habitats as well as protecting UK woodland and increasing biodiversity,” he added.