Grey squirrels

[dirkgently]

I have just watched an article on BBC news24 about the culling of Grey squirrels; this was followed with a discussion with a bunny-loving tree huger. WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE ON? Real conservationists must cringe when they are lumped in with people like this. It makes me

[eccles]

the squirrels seem to doing a good job of culling themselves!
the road to nearest sizeable shopping town is through thetford forrest, and there seems to be a squished grey squirrel about every 20 yards!

[lexie]

From what I remember from A level biology, the red squirrels can only live in pine forests so they won't populate the grey squirrel areas cause the trees are wrong.

[dirkgently]

Like rats they are very successful vermin. Unlike rats they look cute, hence tree huger, no one ever campaigns to save the rats (and that’s speciesisam)

[popey]

'Rats with good PR' is the best way of describing the greys I've heard.

[stackmonkey]

I've heard Greys taste quite nice??

the population would soon drop if they became the latest thing for restaurants to serve up.

[ultimasimon]

I love grays squirels. I encourage them and set them mini assault courses with washing line and biscuits etc. My neighbour hates them, and says they get in your loft and cause major damage.

Who's fault is then? I bet sqirrels were about long before tiled roofs were and as I see it its just another of gods creatures 'exploring'.

They're a lot more interesting to watch than boring old birds.

>> Edited by ultimasimon on Sunday 22 January 13:19

[groucho]

How do you all pronounce squirrel, I pronounce it squirl.

[LRdriver II]

dirkgently said:

... (and that’s speciesisam)

Try saying that when you have had a pint or 6..

[leftie]

A neihbour caught one in his greenhouse the other day and when it failed to vacate upon request he put on gardening gloves and grabbed it. Big mistake, It bit through the gloves and through his finger. He had to throttle it to get it off and then go to A and E to get stitched and a tetnus. A local laborador had a similar vets visit for catching one in the leaves by the local church. Nasty litle buggers.

[yertis]

Grey squirrels are not indigenious to these islands - they were introduced in the late 19th century and have displaced the native red squirrel population until the reds only survive in a few isolated areas. The reasons include their ability to thrive on a more diverse diet than the native squirrels and because they flourish in less dense woodlands.

Shoot on sight.

[ultimasimon]

groucho said:

How do you all pronounce squirrel, I pronounce it squirl.

Don't know what your talking about it sounds as its spelt - squi rel

[yertis]

groucho said:

How do you all pronounce squirrel, I pronounce it squirl.

Are you a White Stripes fan by any chance?

[Neezer]

Grey squirrel = tree rats. There are millions of them. Edited to prevent me from looking bereft of all reason.

>> Edited by Neezer on Sunday 22 January 13:42

[zaktoo]

Solution's easy... red spray paint. Sorted

[wolves_wanderer]

When I was a kid there used to be a family of red squirrels that would come and take biscuits right out of our hands when we fed them. I haven't seen any for years, just a few manky greys now...maybe the original family has just got old.

[mojocvh]

yertis said:

Grey squirrels are not indigenious to these islands - they were introduced in the late 19th century and have displaced the native red squirrel population until the reds only survive in a few isolated areas. The reasons include their ability to thrive on a more diverse diet than the native squirrels and because they flourish in less dense woodlands. Shoot on sight.

greys also carry a virus that makes them ill for a time but is LETHAL to reds, tht red is a less succesful breeder as it "gets put off" more easily.

Sqirrels are edible. The best recipie I have heard of is to fry the haunches in garlic butter like chicken legs.


MoJo.

[_VTEC_]

dirkgently said:

Like rats they are very successful vermin. Unlike rats they look cute, hence tree huger, no one ever campaigns to save the rats (and that’s speciesisam)

[MrsVodkaKid]

Does the virus also make them incredibly stupid? A school I worked at ages ago had a playground surrounded by beautiful trees that were inevitably inhabited by grey squirrels. Every year we would find dead squirrels on the playground in mid-jump pose - one year we found 5!! Quite amusing for us grown-ups (unless you had to go pick up the dead ones!) but for the kids it was pretty distressing!

[rich1231]

groucho said:

How do you all pronounce squirrel, I pronounce it squirl.

squibble