SQUIRREL WARS: RED VS GREY
The third run of the First Cut strand showcasing original films by up-and-coming directors continues. Director Luke Sewell follows Paul Parker, a hunter on a single mission: to rid Northumberland of grey squirrels. Paul’s mission is funded by Lord Rupert Redesdale, who runs the Red Squirrel Protection Partnership. But how will this one-man elimination team, armed with a rifle, a camouflage jacket and a few traps, fare in a county of 1.2 million acres? And what happens when Lord Redesdale’s squirrel war money-chest starts to diminish, leaving Paul more alone than ever?
Friday 6 February 2009
7:35pm, Channel 4
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Come off it Marianne! you cant jail the squirrels;) If they were trapped in a jail cell it would be ILLEGAL to release them, instead it’s the law that they need to be humanely destroyed. they have just about killed off our natural squirrels the REDS!!!
All greys should be killed upon sight. This bloke is trying his best at doing just that.
You are one of those that sees all forms of vermin as cuddly fluffy creatures, wonder what you would think if you had Rats living in your house or squirrels living in your attic or rabbits digging up your garden????
spreading disease to your pets, fouling up the place and being a general nuisance.
Get a reality check dear!
Unfortunately insufficient publicity was given to the reds in the programme, so people who have not been fortunate enough to have witnessed the beauty of reds, are unaware of this. Neither have they seen the pain and suffering the reds experience from the squirrel pox virus, which is spread by the greys.
We had reds visiting our garden daily, until just over a year ago when we saw a red with the virus. It was taken to the vet to be put out of its misery and was sent off to London for tests, which confirmed it was the squirrel pox virus. Since then we have not seen a red squirrel in our garden but have seen them in the area. Unfortunately we have also seen the odd grey.
There are many local groups in Northumberland who are trying to eliminate the greys in a very humane way. A grey culled by one gunshot is preferable to a red suffering a lingering death from the squirrel pox virus.