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Man fined £1,500 for killing Grey Squirrel (1 Viewer)

Two points of fact that were obviously lost on the headline writer.

He wasn't prosecuted for killing the squirrel he was prosecuted for cruelty.

He wasn't fined at all, he was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs.
 
Biggest load of rubbish I've ever heard, couldnt believe some of the suggestions how exactly do you squirrel proof an entire garden? and it was also suggested amongst the acceptable dispatch methods was hitting it once was okay but twice would be illegal,what happens if you didnt kill it the first time do you have to just leave it to die slowly because its illegal to hit it again?

I'd agree that drowning fairly obviously isnt the best method of dispatch but I just found the whole news item a joke.
 
Mono said:
Two points of fact that were obviously lost on the headline writer.

He wasn't prosecuted for killing the squirrel he was prosecuted for cruelty.

He wasn't fined at all, he was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs.
Click to expand...

Good points, the item on the news was somewhat misleading.
 
Adam W said:
....how exactly do you squirrel proof an entire garden? .
Click to expand...

We were once putting up a deer fence around a wood and some tourists asked what we were doing. For a joke, I told them that we were putting up a squirrel fence and they went away quite happy.
 
... I'm sure clever use of electricity could do it ... and you'd also be well on the way to searing them ready for your sarnies ... ;)

(Not that I'm actually condoning animal cruelty, mind ...)
 
In the Times they said that Squirrels were a protected species,
I can only assume that it was a Grey Squirrel.

Steve
 
sglynas said:
In the Times they said that Squirrels were a protected species,
I can only assume that it was a Grey Squirrel.

Steve
Click to expand...

Yes it was a Grey which are not protected and once he'd trapped it it would have infact been illegal for him to release it.
 
£100 OF DAMAGE TO MY FEEDERS,I just love the little critters,though our indigenous reds have my greatest respect
 
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sglynas said:
In the Times they said that Squirrels were a protected species,
I can only assume that it was a Grey Squirrel.

Steve
Click to expand...

Section 2 of The 2006 Animal Welfare Act states that "An animal is a “protected animal” for the purposes of this Act if—
(a) it is of a kind which is commonly domesticated in the British Islands,
(b) it is under the control of man whether on a permanent or temporary basis, or
(c) it is not living in a wild state.

So once the squirrel is trapped it is temporarily under the control of man and therefore a "protected animal".
 
Quote from the article, "The charity insisted the creatures were not vermin and they could be kept out of gardens by using squirrel resistant bird tables."

Good Luck with that!! How well are your "squirrel resistant bird tables" working!!

I am not taking sides, only pointing out how effective/non-effective "squirrel resistant" bird feeders are.
 
John B (not the sloop) said:
So once the squirrel is trapped it is temporarily under the control of man and therefore a "protected animal".
Click to expand...

I suppose it depends what is meant by the word 'protected', I guess they are protected in as far as you have a duty to dispatch it as quickly and humanely as possible(not drowning) which is only right but they are not protected in that you cant kill them.
 
Squirrel resistants nut feeders, had a few of them that have eventually been ripped apart by the squirrels.

My uncles next door neighbour kept calling out pest control for rats becasue she wasn't prepared to use feeders, she just scattered food on the lawn.

Lame reason for killing a animals though. IMO other methods should be tried before resorting to killing. Heard sprinkling paprika deters them I guess it probably works with rats to. I use an eletronic pest control in the house it worked a treat on stopping the ants visting us.

With young birds learning to fend for themselves and insects being a better source of protein its debatable whether feeding birds at this time of year is a good idea anyway.
 
See below for why eradicating grey squirrels, which are rightly classed as vermin, is a good idea.

I found this poster in one of our local woods when I went down to photograph red squirrels last autumn. Unfortunately it was the only red squirrel I saw in an area that was alive with them only a year or two earlier.

Sprinking all the paprika in the world will not help conserve our red squirrels.
 

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Adam W said:
I suppose it depends what is meant by the word 'protected', I guess they are protected in as far as you have a duty to dispatch it as quickly and humanely as possible(not drowning) which is only right but they are not protected in that you cant kill them.
Click to expand...

"For the purposes of this legislation" means "protected animal" is whatever the act says it is. In AWA 2006 I think it simply makes the distinction between a free wild animal and one in the temporary or permanent charge of a human.
 
Barred Wobbler said:
See below for why eradicating grey squirrels, which are rightly classed as vermin, is a good idea.

I found this poster in one of our local woods when I went down to photograph red squirrels last autumn. Unfortunately it was the only red squirrel I saw in an area that was alive with them only a year or two earlier.

Sprinking all the paprika in the world will not help conserve our red squirrels.
Click to expand...

Hit the nail on the head there Alan, of course there's no need for animal cruelty in the case of this drowning but I'm all for getting rid of Grey squirrels humanely for the reasons you mention.
 
John B (not the sloop) said:
"For the purposes of this legislation" means "protected animal" is whatever the act says it is.
Click to expand...

Forgive me I'm a little confused(doesnt take much:-O) are you suggesting that this then means that once captured and therefore under control of man its is protected from being killed as I'm quite sure thats not the case.
 
Barred Wobbler said:
Sprinking all the paprika in the world will not help conserve our red squirrels.
Click to expand...

Agree but it will stop them getting an easy food supply, getting into to trouble with the law* as it seems, plus people taking the eradication of squirrels into their own hands isn't going to work.

*edit: people getting into trouble with the law, not squirrels :-O
 
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