The Telegraph reports that grey squirrels are to be 'excluded' from red squirrel areas in England on pain of death.
There is an evolutionary struggle going on and the red squirrels appear to be losing out to the greys, which was introduced (by man, of course) from America.
Why should we intervene in this struggle? There is no malice between squirrels. There are no 'good' or 'bad' squirrels, there are just little creatures struggling (as we all do) to survive.
If the greys are spreading at the expense of the reds, it is because in evolutionary terms, they are the fittest to survive - the fittest for the environment in which they live.
For man to take sides is ridiculous.
In fact it is worse than ridiculous. It is not clear that more red squirrels will have suffered short lives then would have been the case without the grey, because there are always factors at work limiting a species' population size.
But if we have in some sense caused red squirrels to suffer by introducing the grey, it simply compounds our failing to cull greys. Unless we exterminate the greys entirely there will never be an end to the slaughter. So to assuage our collective guilt over the change in squirrel populations we embark on an endless campaign to inflict suffering on grey squirrels.
Who are we to say one little animal is worth more than another little animal, especially when the difference between them is that one is red and the other is grey?
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2 comments:
Grey Squirrels cause a lot more damage to both vegetation and other wildlife than do Red Squirrels
What naughty squirrels! Is there morality in the natural world? Managing and protecting farms is one thing, but aligning oneself with reds against greys in their evolutionary struggle is another.
they don't belong here
Nor do any newcomers - before they are established. Is there really a moral status attached, whether animal or human? If so, why?
I totally agree with you, man should not choose one creature over another, i think it is obsured. Also red squirrels were already on teh decline even before the grey squirrels arrives, so we should not blame the stronger survivor.
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