On Mon, 21 Apr 2003 13:00:40 +0100, "Peter Crosland"
wrote:

~ Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act ...
~ snip
~ It includes Grey Squirrel and Black Rat but not Rabbit or Brown Rat.
~
~ I don't know of any law which prohibits the capture and release of
~ Rabbits or Brown Rats.
~
~ One that covers vermin perhaps?
~
~ As you say that act is to preserve the indigenous habitat/species from
~ imports. Though the rabbit is techincally an import albeit it it has
~ been here a long time, the Romans introduced it I think.
~
~Thanks for that Malcolm and Dave. AFAIK neither the brown rat, rattus
~norvgicus, or the black rat, rattus rattus, are native species. The Normans
~imported the rabbit in quantity. The Romans were responsible for importing
~the edible dormouse, gliss gliss, that has become a major pest in some parts
~of the Home Counties.
~
~As for the OP your love of animals needs to be tempered with some common
~sense. As an animal lover I deplore cruelty to most species but in the case
~of vermin it is necessary to be realistic and accept that they need to be
~killed for the greater good. Although rare the diseases spread by rat are
~potentially lethal and very unpleasant. Would you like the death of someone
~from Weils Disease on your conscience?

Just as an aside, I once read that the average rat carries between 7 and 12
lethal diseases for humans.

The average town pigeon carries 36.

Tom Lehrer, anyone?


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove nospam from replies, thanks!