Alien invaders in the shape of animals and plants have cost the UK more than £5billion over the past 50 years, researchers estimate. The grey squirrel, European rabbit and Japanese knotweed are among the newcomers placing a financial strain on the economy. And they warn that the cost ‑ one of the highest in Europe […]
Tag: grey squirrel
Twiggy, the Trained Water-Skiing Squirrel Won’t Perform for Public Entertainment in Toronto Anymore!
Twiggy, the trained water skiing squirrel who performs at boat shows is no longer welcome in Toronto. According to the Globe and Mail, Toronto’s animal services department told the Toronto International Boat Show that they could not use a grey squirrel kept in captivity. Twiggy has performed at several boat shows around North America, including […]
Petition: End the United Kingdom’s Grey Squirrel Cull!
Wild animals shouldn’t be forced out of their homes or killed just because people consider them a nuisance. But unfortunately this is the case with many animals around the world. The city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan was recently culling stray dogs by poisoning them to keep the streets empty for a music festival. In Australia, kangaroos are culled […]
Black squirrel ‘super’ species? No, just a darker shade of grey
In popular myth they are an aggressive new “super” species pushing out the grey squirrel just as it has displaced the red squirrel. But the black squirrels seen scampering through southern England are a form of grey squirrel created by wild interbreeding between greys and fox squirrels in North America, according to research. Black squirrels […]
POLL: Should wildlife hunting contests be permitted in Idaho?
U.S. land managers approved a recreation permit on Thursday allowing a controversial hunting contest open to children to take place on public lands in Idaho, where contestants will seek to kill the most wolves and other wildlife for cash and prizes. The hunting group Idaho for Wildlife requested the permit for the so-called predator derby to take […]
Five squirrels separated after tails got entangled in ‘Gordian Knot’
Five squirrels whose tails became tangled together in a “Gordian Knot” in their nest have been freed by a wildlife team in Wisconsin. The group of young grey squirrels were found with their tails entangled together with grass and plastic their mother had used as nest material. An animal rehabilitation team spent 20 minutes trying […]
Pine marten spotted in Kielder forest for first time in 90 years
The pine marten, a fearsome but diminutive predator driven to extinction in England, has returned to the country’s largest forest for the first time since 1926. Stills and video from a camera trap have recorded a mature pine marten devouring peanut butter put out for red squirrels at a secret location in Kielder forest, Northumberland. […]
Pine Martens Could Save the UK’s Red Squirrel Population
The reintroduction of pine martens in Scotland has been controversial, but data from a new study revealsa potential bonus: These cat-sized predators could help the beleaguered red squirrel to bounce back. The study, which appears this month in the journal “Proceedings of the Royal Society B,” suggests that while pine martens prey on red squirrels, […]