Red squirrels 'close to extinction' in England

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjwpd9d399wo

226 points · 18 comments · view on lemmy.world

18 Comments

osanna@lemmy.vg · 37 pts · 116d (4 replies)

I'm beginning to think mother nature made a mistake inventing humans.

Auk@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 116d

I’m beginning to think Mother Nature made us from the supervolcano recipe and we turned the oven back on.

bilb@lemmy.ml · 8 pts · 116d (2 replies)

Humans are way better than squirrels, whatever the color tbh

Have you ever tried to talk to a squirrel? It's a nightmare. The are all so self centered, its insane

Buffalox@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 116d (1 reply)

Squirrel eating from the hand:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/j-50qxCOHlY

I had several older generation relatives, that would describe how cute they are, if you have squirrels in your garden, if they get used to you, and begin to come close.

We are trying to create conditions to attract squirrels here, even if they never get close, they are so cute when they show off their amazing acrobatics in the trees.

AbidanYre@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 114d

Bonus trash panda

magnue@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 116d

Literally never seen one. See a grey every single week though.

trackball_fetish@lemmy.wtf · 10 pts · 116d (3 replies)

I can export a ton of these bastards to breed with the remaining population. Careful though, they will fight you

tommij@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 116d (2 replies)

Already there, it's the reason they are threatened.

Reintroduction of pine martens seem to be doing the trick though.

trackball_fetish@lemmy.wtf · 6 pts · 116d

Didn't the article say grey squirrel? This is a fox squirrel. Granted I don't know much about the UK's squirrel population. Glad to hear they are on the rise again.

AnyOldName3@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 115d

I worry that if the pine martins aren't introduced quickly enough, the grey squirrels will have time to develop a fear of them before they're all eaten, and then the weaker reds will become the easier prey. At the moment, they're not even being deployed fast enough to preserve the status quo.

sexy_animal_fucker@kbin.melroy.org · 9 pts · 116d

I learn this just after leaving England

ohulancutash@feddit.uk · 6 pts · 116d (1 reply)

Which is why the law demands trapped greys are culled.

Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 115d

This is so strange. Near me the greys are protected.

melsaskca@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 115d (1 reply)

We used to have both the smaller red squirrels and the slightly larger grey squirrels in Canada where I live. I haven't noticed any of the red squirrels for a few years now.

QuantumSparkles@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 115d

Tribal cannibalism

Iconoclast@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 115d

My favourite native animal. There's a ton of them where I live

rwrwefwef@sh.itjust.works · -1 pts · 115d

Only the strong survive.

elucubra@sopuli.xyz · -4 pts · 115d

MAGA squirrels