Red squirrels

The island is known for homing rare breed animals but from time to time considers taking on something a little different. The island's animals stay pretty much disease free and during the foot and mouth disaster back in 2001, the island's famous T.T. motorcycle races were cancelled to prevent thousands of visitors bringing in the disease on vehicles. All vehicles that entered the island were disinfected and passengers through the airport walked across disinfected mats. The movement of animals to and from the island was also prohibited. The island remained free of the disease.

Now the red squirrels are being considered but I'm not so sure the island is large enough to sustain them although our Forestry Department says it's possible. If they multiply to any extent I can't see there being enough food for them, plant damage and recovery also has to be considered.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-35821553

 

When I was just a gal there used to be red squirrels in the Abbey gardens in my local town Bury St Edmunds they were lovely looking creatures. I think it would be really nice if they could be breed on your island @Sheal then reintroduced to parts of the U.K. Where their numbers are in decline

 

I can't remember the last time I saw a squirrel of any colour. Although I leave the island from time to time I don't tend to visit places where I would see them.

 

Why do you think the IoM is too small for them? Brownsea Island is the only place in southern England with a population of red squirrels I believe and it is small. Why wouldn't there be enough food for them? Are grey squirrels resident? If so they are likely to out compete the Reds for food. The Reds are native and greys are not. I think reintroduction should be welcomed.

 

Usally wild animals will goven themselfs, if lots of food there will be lots of squirrels, but the red squirrel isn't as bad as the greys

 

I just love them........just hope we can see more in the wild.
Alas this lovely pic. was taken in captivity,where there is a a programme to release more into the wild.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about over population, red squirrels self regulate according to food sources available. That twinned with natural predation will ensure numbers are kept in check.
The Island could also have a safe breeding programme to keep the rest of the UK suitably poulated...Open the door and 'let 'em in'

 

It's to small because the majority of trees on the island are evergreens and are grown for future use. All the plantations are some form of conifer/pine and we are currently losing a high number of Larches due to disease. Scrubland is slowly being inhabited by the increasing numbers of wallabies and wild goats so there will be contention regarding food at low level. Obviously food sources that are available have to sustain many other wild animals too. The larger high areas of the island have no food source for squirrels. The island is only 35 x 13 miles in size and a population of 80,000 people inhabit the lower areas, this includes farms of course, so it doesn't leave a great deal of area for wild animal population. I'm not against having red squirrels here but we have to think about how they will survive and how much damage they will do to the forest areas and scrubland that are available to them.

There are no grey squirrels here which is why the introduction of red is being considered, but we must also remember that this will mean a change to the laws on destructive animal introduction, reference: The Destructive Animals Act 1963. Please read within the link of my first post above, under 'Public consultation'.

Edited: There is no natural predation here unless our birds of prey would take a squirrel.

This is exactly why red squirrels are being considered, it's doubtful they would be introduced for any other reason.

 

From what I've read there is a large population of polecats on the island, plus stoats, buzzards and a few eagles, all of which would prey on squirrels.
However Sheal it could be a case of 'don't believe everything you read'

 

Red Squirrels inhabit both conifer and broadleaf woodlands and eat pine nuts, spruce seeds, fungi, acorns and bark and can live altitudes up to 2000m. Doesn't matter if the evergreens are for 'future use', as the Red Squirrels can live in them for the decades they take to grow.

Wallabies?! Seriously wouldn't you really rather have Red Squirrels?

What damage will they do?

More info in this link: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/redsquirrel

 

I've have already said that we have very few broadleaf trees here to sustain them, that in turn means very few nuts. It doesn't matter what altitude they can live at, if there is no food supply then they won't survive. This is what I tried to say earlier, our high ground is barren apart from heather and grass.

Yes, seriously! No I wouldn't rather have Red Squirrels instead, they are not indigenous to this island. I know Wallabies aren't either, but they settled after escaping from our Wildlife Park many years ago and we currently have well over a hundred living wild.

Try reading the 1963 Destructive Animal Act that I have now mentioned twice!

 

Eagles and Buzzards are rare. I've seen many polecats but sadly they have been mostly road kill.

 

Sheal: I couldn't locate your link to the "Destructive Animals Act". I did however google it and could find no mention of Red Squirrels. The act is in any case more than 50 years old. Surely there is some more up to date research available for you to study to alleviate your worries.

 

The link to the act below @Redwing. It may be more than 50 years old but it still applies.

https://www.gov.im/lib/docs/daff/Consultations/enviro/redsquirrelconsultation.pdf

I think you misunderstand me. I have no worries as such because our government will probably go ahead with this anyway, even though it means altering the current laws. It would seem a high percentage of people here have no idea this is going on behind the scenes, which is typical of the way things work here.

I know enough about squirrels to know the damage they cause both in the countryside and towns.

The reason I posted this was to see whether GC members had any thoughts on the subject. The residents here on the island are pretty much used to the 'Noahs Ark' situation that the UK wants to use it for. Other than that it prefers to ignore our existence, but that's a different discussion.