"Sheila" wrote in message
.uk...

" I was of course responding in the context of the OP's wish that
'everyone'
should get rid of grey squirrels to preserve the Formby reds.


I didn't actually say that,

Well, that's the way I read what you posted ...

just that Formby was one of the few areas left!
The native red is an endangered species in the UK, whilst the grey
flourishes, on the back of the red, being larger, and clears out the reds
food first. Also, they pass on a disease which decimates the red's also.
Living with these squirrels naturally makes me want to eliminate the big
bad grey! wouldn't it be nicer for us to have the native species back
again, throughout the country, there are enough greys in the US!


Judging by grey squirrels' success here, our islands seem to provide an
almost ideal habitat for them, and they have been naturalised and
flourishing here for a considerable time. There are now so many of them, so
widely distributed, that it would be impractical to eliminate all the grey
squirrels from the UK, especially as there would probably be a backlash from
people who are happy enough with the grey squirrels they have been 'living
with' for decades, and who have probably only ever seen a red squirrel in
Beatrix Potter illustrations. Better to concentrate efforts on trying to
preserve the remaining red 'strongholds', IMO, than to wage a fruitless
campaign against greys in general.

Fair enough, there are plenty of grey squirrels in the USA - but you could
say there are enough 'reds' in Europe and Asia, too.