An update on the so-called contraceptive treatment, sterilisation, call it what you want, but it seems it's not the silver bullet they were hoping for (so far) and it's turning out to be a bit of a dud.
This demonstrates the gulf that often exists between aspiration and reality. An announcement that efforts are being made to develop such a drug are a world away from the reality of it coming into use, and by the time it eventually becomes available, it might be too late for large areas where red squirrels still hold out. They'll be closing the stable door long after the horse not only has bolted, but is dead and buried. Hoping that there might be a 'kinder' way of wiping out the grey threat that trapping and shooting could be a false hope, no matter how attractive and aesthetically pleasing it might be.
This is an extract from a report only two weeks ago from our local red squirrel group that might shine a beam of realism on the hopes for a sweet solution. In the meantime, red squirrels continue to suffer and die. I'm sure they won't mind me posting it here.
'The UK Squirrel Accord (UKSA) was formed in 2015 at the invitation of His (then) Royal Highness the Prince
of Wales. It is a UK wide partnership of 45 lead in conservation organisations, forestry organisations,
Government agencies and companies.
It’s aims are:
Secure and expand UK red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris, populations beyond current thresholds
Ensure UK woodlands flourish and deliver multiple benefits for future generations of wildlife and people
The UKSA began a five year project in 2019 to develop an immunocontraceptive for grey squirrels.
The idea is that greys will eat bait foods containing the contraceptive, which will be delivered through species specific feeders. This would prevent
female greys becoming pregnant so the grey squirrel population would decline very rapidly. This has been eagerly awaited as a saviour for red squirrels.
UKSA has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds researching and developing the contraceptive drug and its deployment. We have been under the impression that it would be available some time in 2024, when the project timescale ended. Sadly, they have just announced that their contraceptive doesn’t survive passing through the digestive tract and so isn’t absorbed in to the bloodstream. This is devastating news for us as we desperately try to keep our local reds alive. They are now saying a further 7 to 10 years are needed to make it available. This is devastating for us, but potentially catastrophic for many of the small, red squirrel colonies especially across the North of England and Southern Scotland'.
