Tens of thousands of grey squirrels are to be culled in Northern Scotland in an effort to save the native red squirrel from extinction.

The squirrels will be legally killed by landowners as part of the £1.3 million, government-sponsored Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project. The aim of the project is to save the red squirrels from extinction by protecting their last remaining stronghold in the Highlands of Scotland.

Grey squirrel

Director of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Stuart Brooks, said “We appreciate that not everybody likes (culling), not one bit. But I genuinely feel that this might be our last chance to save the red squirrels.”

Grey squirrels were introduced to Britain from the United States in the 1870s, and have slowly spread, leading to a rapid decline in the numbers of native red squirrels. Not only are grey squirrels bigger and stronger, but they also carry the contagious squirrelpox virus, which is harmless to grey squirrels but fatal to their red cousins.

The plans have riled many animal rights groups, who believe the cull is ethically wrong. Ross Minet, Campaign Director for Advocates for Animals said, “It is totally wrong to attempt to save red squirrels by slaughtering thousands of grey squirrels. What we want is a real and achievable long-term solution to saving red squirrels, through effective habitat management and development of a squirrelpox vaccine.”

But time may be running out for the red squirrels. The squirrelpox vaccine proposal has been rejected by conservation agencies because it would take too long to find one.

Environment minister Michael Russell said, “We only have a short time to save the red squirrel. It’s one of our most beautiful and valuable native species, and its loss would be absolutely unforgivable.”