Sick Squirrel

The image I took of the little boys tears would have been good but I didn't ask for permission to use it.

This squirrel was still alive but very sick. The child found it and wanted to take it to the animal hospital. Mother wasn't so keen on the idea but was almost convinced. I took her to one side and explained that even if she drove the ten plus miles to the nearest, their journey would be wasted. Even if they could help the creature they wouldn't as the center can't release Grey Squirrel back into the wild. They are classified as vermin and to release them is illegal.

A sweet as they are, I do have mixed feelings about Grey Squirrels. I remember my childhood when the Red Squirrel scurried about the garden and the hours I spent observing them. I also remember when, after buying the house from my father, my brother in law was so happy to see both red and grey feeding from the same bird table in the garden.

Little was publicly known about squirrel pox or the devastating effects it would have on the native squirrels. Today, although Dundee has got a thriving population of Reds, there is not a single one in the area where the house stands.

Here in Surrey the Red Squirrel is long gone, leaving only to grey to breed rapidly. The damage they cause can be significant so pest control is an important part of any woodland management. This one has most likely been poisoned. As sorry as I feel for this creature I'm under no illusion of it's status in the countryside.


The youngster was convinced that I would be the best person to care for the sickly creature. Once he had said goodbye and disappeared around the corner, I put the squirrel swiftly out of it's misery.