'Send me tails of red squirrels'

[Skandi]

An interesting article on the history of red squirrels in Scotland.

The Highlands of Scotland are today considered by conservationists and the government as one of the last great strongholds for red squirrels.

Loss of habitat, disease and competition for food from non-native greys, drive the bid to protect them.

But for 43 years, from 1903, there was an active effort on estates across the Highlands to trap, shoot and kill reds.

By 1946, the Highland Squirrel Club had killed 102,900 squirrels and paid out £1,504 in bounties.

Tails were submitted as proof of kills.

There are several ironies in the story of the club, which was formed in 1903.

Reds were extinct, or on the brink of extinction, in the Highlands by the 1800s because of a loss of woodland habitat.

In 1844, Lady Lovat of Beaufort Estate near Beauly, succeeded in getting the government to re-introduce the squirrels to the Highlands.

Please instruct your keepers to send to me, from time to time, the tails of all squirrels killed on your estate during the year
Arthur H Duncan
Club secretary

Ian Collier, of the Highland Red Squirrel Group - a modern day organisation set up to protect reds - believed the creatures were seen by some owners of "big houses" as a "fashion accessory" to add to their landscaped gardens.

Mr Collier said: "What is ironic is that many of the red squirrels were re-introduced from England, now among the worst-hit areas for squirrel pox, which kills reds.

"Other reds were introduced from populations in Sweden."

By the 1900s, the squirrels had spread from the boundaries of the estates where they were released and were blamed for causing damage to Scots pine and other conifers.

The garden novelty had become a menace threatening thousands of acres of plantations.

The resulting cull and efforts to control squirrel numbers were recorded in annual reports and accounts of the Highland Squirrel Club, which are today a feature of the collections held by Highland Council Archive Services.

At its height, 56 estates subscribed to the club.

Greys are now the target of control efforts

Arthur H Duncan, its long-standing secretary, signed off letters informing members of annual fees and bounties paid with the sentence: "In order that you may participate in the bonus, please instruct your keepers to send to me, from time to time, the tails of all squirrels killed on your estate during the year."

Ironically, Beaufort Estate was where the most reds were killed - a total of 22,766.

A letter from the estate's office dated 31 December 1920, notifies the club secretary that a box containing 523 squirrel tails had been sent to him by train.

The same year, Cadboll Estates in Invergordon said its numbers of reds had been dramatically diminished by soldiers and dock workers going into the woods and shooting them with catapults and pea rifles.

Meanwhile, club members were also encouraged to tackle other wildlife considered vermin and a threat to livestock and crops.

Grey domination

In a letter to estates in January 1908, the secretary urged a "regular and systematic destruction" of wood pigeons and crows.

Members also played a part in feeding casualties of World War I.

March 1918, saw a plea to estate workers to collect seagull eggs to be sent free of charge to military hospitals.

By the end of World War II, the numbers of reds taken had fallen markedly from the highs of the early years.

Today, reds face threats from its larger, grey, American cousin.

First introduced to Cheshire in 1876 and to Scotland in 1892, greys compete for food and carry a disease fatal to reds.

In a final irony, 63 years after the end of the Highland Squirrel Club, the same estates where reds were actively hunted down now offer a haven for the species.

source

[Allenson]

It's an interesting story and one that I've chatted about with a Scottish friend of mine.

There's a touch of irony here in that the grey squirrel that was introduced to Britain in the 1800s is a native of North America (we also have several red squirrel species here too) and contrasts with what has been the overall trend in species introduction since colonial times: from Europe & Asia to North America. I can't tell you how many nuisance/invasive species there are (humans included? ) of both plants & animals here in North America that have come from thither shores and have raised some sort of hell or another.

Anyway, sorry for the greys. I'm pulling for the chattery little reds.

Here, reds & greys aren't often found living side-by-each. Reds are more often found in coniferous woods whereas the greys are surely oak & hickory lovers as well as becoming quite suited to an urban habitat.




In fact, the woods around my house are of the "northern hardwoods" & cool spruce/fir types and rarely do we see greys. Just this past winter was the first time I'd ever seen a grey at my place (raiding the birdfeeder).

[Solwyn]

We love squirrels!!! We put out little piles of raw nuts for them every day of the year, we apply for the malathion ban every year so they (along with all the other critters and bugs that live in our yard) don't suffer or drop dead needlessly.

The only thing that didn't thrill me was last year they replanted my garlic and green onions in amongst my beans and peas, so they were basically strangled out of existence. They also planted some corn for us, underneath the evergreen tree on our front lawn. Because of the immense amount of shade this tree provides, the corn never got more than a foot tall, but it was funny to point out nonetheless.

[Frigga]

I really love squirrels! They're so cute!

I had to rescue a little baby squirrel on Easter. My boyfriend and I were on a walk on our property, and while walking through our creekbed, we spotted a little creature on the ground. We thought at first that it was a dead rat, which would mean praise for whichever cat that we thought had killed it. But, it turned out to be a little squirrel. The man wanted to just let Nature take over, but being the emotional female that I am, I insisted on driving down to the Humane Society and dropping it off there, as the Wildcare facility was closed for the holiday. The tech there gave me the rhetoric that she would probably have to put it down, as she felt that it shouldn't suffer too much waiting for the squirrel specialists. Dyke Bitch! Because of her trying to make herself feel important, I spent the rest of the evening feeling like I had made the half hour trip to save this really cute 7 week old squirrel, and that my efforts, and prayers to Idunna were a waste of time, effort, and gas. I had cried all evening. Thankfully, that little squirrel is alright, and it looks like she can be re-released on our property with two other little squirrels about her age!

I'm such a dork.

[Atlas]

I was surpised visiting New York and Montreal, two huges North American cities where in the parks of both cities, you can find dozens and dozens of squirells, I have never seen this in Paris, only in the French countryside. People feed them elsewhere me thinks.

[Heimmacht]

If I would have them, I wouldn't certainly have send them away!