BBC programme on Grey Squirrels

[RaveWar]

This afternoon (Tuesday) at 3:00 o'clock, there is a programme on Radio 4: Home Planet. According to the trailer it will discuss amoungst other things the ethics of culling grey squirrels. Essential listening to all airgunners who have areas of woodland on their shoot!

[zztop]

Please can someone who can actually listen to this post a summary of this broadcast for those who can’t.

Thank

ZZ

[RaveWar]

Please can someone who can actually listen to this post a summary of this broadcast for those who can’t.

If your computer has speakers (and high speed internet helps) use the "listen again" feature available to all BBC radio programmes.

[zztop]

[QUOTE=RaveWar]If your computer has speakers (and high speed internet helps) use the "listen again" feature available to all BBC radio programmes.

Im at work and cant listern now or later as I dont have BBand at home at the mo

[RaveWar]

It'll be no problem to fill you in with an "executive summary" when the programme finishes. By following this discussion over the next hour or two you should get a good idea of which way the programme went, anyway.

The Home Planet website is here.

[zztop]

Cool

Thank you

[RaveWar]

I had a listen, and the article itself was rather short and not terribly enlightening. it can be summarised thus:

• Squirrels are a pest: they do damage to woodland, and their rise has been proportional to the decline of reds
• The mechanism causing the loss of reds is not entirely understood: the greys carry a disease that is fatal to the reds but harmless to them, this is at least as significant as the effect of their inherent competitiveness over reds.
• Culling the squirel would cause a public backlash, as many people do find them pleasing.
• The greys are so well established that any attempt at erradication will prove futile
• Culling grey squirrels should be done by a "targeted" approach in areas where grey and red squirrels overlap, and in woodlands where they are causing damage (surely all woodlands?)

Overall, not much new in that article.

[zztop]

Thak you anyway

[arjimlad]

Looks like it's Carry on Shooting as far as the tree-rat is concerned then. What a relief.

Happy landings !