Red Squirrels, Grey Squirrels

Morgoth’s Review
April 6, 2015

The Daily Telegraph reports:

Red squirrels are battling back in the war against their grey rivals – after finally returning to one of Britain’s most stunning beauty spots.

Native reds have been almost wiped out except for a few pockets in the north of England, the Isle of Wight and Scotland after greys arrived from America in the 19th century.

Numbers of the reds – popularly illustrated in the Beatrix Potter Squirrel Nutkin books – have been dwindling, mainly thanks to the greys’ squirrel pox virus.

…

Experts said a lack of habitats caused them to disappear from Windermere and since 1952, 95 per cent of red squirrels have been wiped out in England and Wales.

But Bob Cartwright, of charity Westmorland Red Squirrels, said they are returning to woods in the area – with some even spotted in the town centre.

Mr Cartwright said: “So far this year there have been seven sightings, including just a few weeks ago a red seen bouncing around in Ellerthwaite Square right in the centre of Windermere. It is pretty clear that they are here in good numbers.”

…

The red squirrel has been a native of our land for several thousand years, whereas the first greys were brought here from North America in 1876.

Meanwhile a Grey Squirrel in human form claims:

The would-be London Mayor insisted the UK did not have too many immigrants.

“If you look at our population, it can manage, there are huge green spaces in the country where there aren’t immigrants,” he told BBC Breakfast.

“It’s not too high, it’s not.”

…

Last year Mr Lammy warned Labour against reacting to the political threat posed by the UK Independence Party by adopting too hard a line on immigration.

“I don’t think that posturing and positioning each time there’s a new immigration poll is right for the Labour Party.

“We are a pro-immigration party, a pro-European party,” he told an interviewer last November.”