Releasing a trapped grey squirrel.....you learn something new every day.

[Dave7]

I have always understood that, being vermin, trapped grey squirrels must be euthanised.
A news item reports that a GS in Berkshire got trapped in a bird feeder. The householder got the fire brigade in and they released it "back into the wild".
With what i thought i knew i googled it and read the following (I sumarise).
1. If it is deliberately trapped it must be humanely euthanised......no question.
2. If it is accidentally trapped it can be released "in situ'".
So........its debatable if they released it correctly but being allowed to release it at all was new to me.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

They are cute little things and are, unfairly, much vilified.

We have several in the woods opposite us and are a joy to watch cavorting in our Hazel trees.

The only issue we have with them is that whilst they are very thorough at 'making good' the lawn when hiding their nut hoard, they are less circumspect when retrieving them - leaving the lawn with small 'bomb craters'.

 

[oxoman]

We get the same issue when they retrieve the hazel nuts and im assuming its the GS that bury conkers as well. Normally get a few they miss in spring and they end up sprouting, first couple of mowings sort that out. As much as I prefer red squirrels I wouldn't go out of my way to kill them, tbh I'll miss them when I move to a treeless garden.

 

[Dave7]

They are cute little things and are, unfairly, much vilified.

We have several in the woods opposite us and are a joy to watch cavorting in our Hazel trees.

The only issue we have with them is that whilst they are very thorough at 'making good' the lawn when hiding their nut hoard, they are less circumspect when retrieving them - leaving the lawn with small 'bomb craters'.

The article I googled said that one reason for not releasing them is thier destruction of the native red squirrels.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

The article I googled said that one reason for not releasing them is thier destruction of the native red squirrels.

That is the usual argument for killing them.

I see them as little critters just getting on with their lives.

 

[Dogtrousers]

We get the same issue when they retrieve the hazel nuts and im assuming its the GS that bury conkers as well. Normally get a few they miss in spring and they end up sprouting, first couple of mowings sort that out. As much as I prefer red squirrels I wouldn't go out of my way to kill them, tbh I'll miss them when I move to a treeless garden.

I remember emptying out my hanging baskets one year and finding a load of conkers stashed in one. Puzzling as I can't think where the nearest horse chestnut tree is. They must have carried them a fair way.

 

[Stevo 666]

Small holes in the lawn are the only minor problem they cause round our way, although our lawn is hardly an ideal home showpiece so no big shakes. I can understand why they stay nearby as we have conker trees that drop loads every autumn. Also keeps the dogs amused from time to time as they get to chase something in the garden.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Granted, I've never lived anywhere that had a squirrel problem, but I've never experienced any damage or problems of their causing. They eat bird food yes, but bird food always attracts rats so I try to discourage its use. It's a very complex moral issue about invasive species, and something I think only gets worse with human meddling unless it's done very well and with pinpoint regulation