Cute or vermin ?

[simongt]

But then if some idiot Victorian 'gentleman' hadn't introduced them because of their cuteness in the first place.......

 

[raleighnut]

But then if some idiot Victorian 'gentleman' hadn't introduced them because of their cuteness in the first place.......

They were introduced to Britain for food, not cuteness.

 

[nickyboy]

Actually, there's no evidence grey squirrels were introduced for food. Most sources seem to suggest they were introduced purely as a fashion thing.

Given they were initially introduced into (I think) London parks, it seems unlikely it was to provide a food source

 

[Yellow Fang]

I cycled around the Isle of Wight on my holidays last year. It was a crap holiday, but I did see one red squirrel. I saw more tigers than red squirrels. I get the impression they keep themselves to themselves. Maybe that is why the grey squirrels were imported, because you could actually see them.

 

[Yellow Fang]

[QUOTE 4227215, member: 9609"]One of the saviours for the Reds in Scotland may be its old enemy the Pine Martin, possibly one of the reasons the Red has always remained small is the need to venture along very small thin branches to keep out of the reach of the Pine Martin - The grey is too heavy, can't escape and is easy pickings for the Pine Martin.

So may be if we should be concentrating in supporting Pine Martins and helping them become part of our environment as they once were.[/QUOTE]

I have often wondered why the Pine Martins have not been re-introduced to England. I expect it is something to do with gamekeepers, but what is it they actually kill that gamekeepers would object to? Do they kill gamebirds? Maybe we don't have enough continuous forest to support a viable population.

 

[Yellow Fang]

[QUOTE 4227237, member: 9609"]I can't imagine they would ever be tolerated on a shooting estate so unfortunately we will never see them re-introduced, they only seem to be doing well in areas where they are not rearing game birds.
But shooting estates don't necessarily need a direct predictor / prey relationship with game birds, take a look at what they done to the Mountain Hare here link[/QUOTE]

 

[biggs682]

I am still out on them being cute or vermin. Others have commented about the damage they have caused but the same damage can be caused by other animals that will never make the vermin list .

 

[PaulB]

Talking of which, a friend of mine is a man very keen on dogs. He's forever posting pictures of dogs (sometimes cats) on my Facebook page informing the world of how cute these dogs are. Now having grown up with dogs when I lived with my parents, I'm quite fond of them myself BUT NOT THE DEVIL ONES! He's recently been posting pics of one/two week old pups who are cute as a button - on their own but are always pictured with their mother and their mothers are most definitely of a breed you wouldn't want to see in the Northern Hemisphere. Or the other one for that matter. American Pit Bulls, those other huge savage ones with massive jaws clearly bred for damage, lots of those sort and there's people who can't see past how cute the pups are and understand what they're going to grow up in to. I've advised him to stop and had to unfriend him from my page recently but seeing the title of the thread here, that's my opinion on his recent postings. I doubt there'll be many on here though who'd vote for 'cute' where these devils are concerned.

 

[Mrs M]

American Pitbulls often aren't the problem, it's their owners

 

[nickyboy]

[QUOTE 4227215, member: 9609"]One of the saviours for the Reds in Scotland may be its old enemy the Pine Martin, possibly one of the reasons the Red has always remained small is the need to venture along very small thin branches to keep out of the reach of the Pine Martin - The grey is too heavy, can't escape and is easy pickings for the Pine Martin.

So may be if we should be concentrating in supporting Pine Martins and helping them become part of our environment as they once were.[/QUOTE]

Well in England the battle is over. Greys have won and reds have lost. With the exception of a few museums such as Brownsea Island. No amount of human intervention has any long-term effect on their dominance. What is needed is the reintroduction of a natural predator such as the Pine Marten

http://www.theguardian.com/environm...-squirrels-without-firing-a-shot-pine-martens

The only thing stopping this is the game bird industry

 

[raleighnut]

Talking of which, a friend of mine is a man very keen on dogs. He's forever posting pictures of dogs (sometimes cats) on my Facebook page informing the world of how cute these dogs are. Now having grown up with dogs when I lived with my parents, I'm quite fond of them myself BUT NOT THE DEVIL ONES! He's recently been posting pics of one/two week old pups who are cute as a button - on their own but are always pictured with their mother and their mothers are most definitely of a breed you wouldn't want to see in the Northern Hemisphere. Or the other one for that matter. American Pit Bulls, those other huge savage ones with massive jaws clearly bred for damage, lots of those sort and there's people who can't see past how cute the pups are and understand what they're going to grow up in to. I've advised him to stop and had to unfriend him from my page recently but seeing the title of the thread here, that's my opinion on his recent postings. I doubt there'll be many on here though who'd vote for 'cute' where these devils are concerned.

You say that but I had a German Shepherd that some people were terrified of, he (Pet name Sabor ) was the gentlest dog I've ever known but only because he'd been 'socialised' and taught how to behave by me. There is another dog that lives nearby that is a Brindle coated Boxer/Staffy cross that frightens the crap out of a lot of people but again he is a lovely hound.
Apart from the odd 'rogue' dog they're all down to what the owners taught them (and yes I have had a right 'Physcopathic' mutt years ago, a Black Labrador cross that could not be trusted anywhere or with anyone, even bit me a few times, but looked completely 'safe' until he sunk his teeth in)

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Jack Russell's are pure vermin, vicious little torags that should be wiped off the face of the earth.

"He's only playing, he won't bite" is the cry of the doting owner when the evil little mutt is trying to sink his little razor teeth into your ankle. Never yet come across one that I didn't want to use as a football.

 

[PaulB]

You say that but I had a German Shepherd that some people were terrified of, he (Pet name Sabor ) was the gentlest dog I've ever known but only because he'd been 'socialised' and taught how to behave by me. There is another dog that lives nearby that is a Brindle coated Boxer/Staffy cross that frightens the crap out of a lot of people but again he is a lovely hound.
Apart from the odd 'rogue' dog they're all down to what the owners taught them (and yes I have had a right 'Physcopathic' mutt years ago, a Black Labrador cross that could not be trusted anywhere or with anyone, even bit me a few times, but looked completely 'safe' until he sunk his teeth in)

I like German Shepherds. My sister-in-law breeds Belgian Shepherds and they've all been great. I wasn't writing about such dogs but the ones bred purely for mayhem.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

My Jack Russell doesn't bite. Barks like mad - but then licks you to death.

In fact I've never known a Jack Russell that bites....

I've heard that before...

 

[Arjimlad]

I well remember chatting to the farmer's son about pigeons on the farm as a young shooter - all the while his sneakyJack Russell was quietly and doggedly destroying my trouser bottoms from behind trying to get at my ankles. Didn't want to kick the mutt for fear of losing the permission to shoot !