Скачать или смотреть Red, Grey Squirrels & the Truth No One Wants to Hear 🐿️ | A Conservation Rethink

Why are red squirrels still declining after 50+ years of grey squirrel culling?

In this video, I break down the real history of red squirrel decline in the UK — from habitat destruction and human interference to the introduction of grey squirrels and the complex role of squirrelpox. Yes, greys are a problem. Yes, culling works short-term. But if we actually want red squirrels to survive long-term, we need to stop blaming symptoms and start fixing causes.

🔹 The red squirrel’s decline began before grey squirrels arrived
🔹 The UK destroyed red squirrel habitat and replaced it with fragmented landscapes where greys thrive
🔹 Squirrelpox is deadly to reds, but not the full story — disease is just one factor
🔹 Culling has not reversed red population decline in most areas — it only works in isolated zones
🔹 Rewilding and predator restoration (pine martens, lynx, goshawks, etc.) show real promise
🔹 If ethical, ecosystem-based solutions exist — we are morally obligated to pursue them

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📚 SOURCES & STUDIES:

🔗 Shuttleworth, 2001 – Mortality study showing squirrelpox at 2%
https://www.researchgate.net/publicat...

🔗 Sheehy & Lawton, 2014 – Pine marten recovery leads to red squirrel resurgence
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomm...

🔗 Twining et al., 2020 – Further evidence of pine martens’ effect on grey squirrel populations
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/...

🔗 Gurnell et al., 2008 – Historical timeline of grey squirrel spread in Britain
https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/res...

🔗 UK Ancient Woodland Loss
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/pres...

🔗 Shared feeders & squirrelpox transmission
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wil...

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🔥 What This Video Covers:

✅ History of red squirrel decline
✅ Why grey squirrels became dominant
✅ The ethics of culling
✅ Rewilding: pine martens, lynx, and more
✅ Why rethinking conservation is urgent
✅ Responding to the backlash

📢 Let’s start a conversation about compassionate conservation that works with nature — not against it.
#wildlifephotography #redsquirrels #greysquirrel #lakedistrict