KERR: ‘Squirrel Nutkin’ deserves a chance

By David S. Kerr

Published: June 19, 2008

The American Gray Squirrel, is, as anyone who reads this column knows, is my favorite of the woodland animals that live with us in the suburbs. As the e-mails I get in response to any column I write about these critters suggest, they have their share of fans and, I would add, their detractors. Not everyone likes
them. They are notorious for robbing bird feeders and they have a bad habit of digging up potted plants.

I’ve considered my columns about squirrels to be light-hearted, fun and strictly a matter of local interest. But imagine my surprise last week, while visiting England, to find that our Gray Squirrel has managed to make himself despised, in of all places, Great Britain.  That’s particularly upsetting because it’s one of the few countries where we Americans are still well liked. But that doesn’t go for our squirrels. The problem is that over there the gray squirrel is what’s called an “invasive species,“ which has managed to drive the beloved British Red Squirrel nearly to extinction. 

It all started back in 1876 when an English Lord brought two Gray Squirrels from America. They were a novelty. However, he got bored with them and released them into the wild. Since then, to borrow from Exodus, “they were very fruitful and multiplied greatly.” From those two Gray Squirrels, and possibly some other introductions that didn’t make the history books, there are now 2 million of them in southern and central England. In some parts of England the once dominant Red Squirrel, a cute little fellow with luxurious red fur and a white belly, is just a memory. That’s what has the British Forest Service and conservationists so upset.  Out of a population that just 50 years ago numbered in the millions, only an estimated 160,000 red squirrels remain. What’s more, the invaders’ march north and eventual total domination of the island appears unstoppable. 

You may ask why the British care so much about Red Squirrels. The answer, to my surprise, goes a little deeper into the British character than you might think. Featured in several popular children’s poems and stories, it was made famous by the author Beatrix Potter, the creator of Peter Rabbit, with the character “SquirrelNutkin.” Red Squirrels are something of a national icon. They are also credited, through burying acorns, with being a critical part in creating the oak forests that allowed Britain to build its navy. That’s a lot of legacy for one little rodent. To some, this has become an issue with international overtones, but I would remind everyone that these are squirrels and they don’t have a national identity. However, to conservationists, and the British Forest Service, this is a desperate issue. They want to save their native species.

Unfortunately, the American Gray Squirrels are bigger, more aggressive and have pushed the Red Squirrel from its native habitat. There is, unlike the introduction of the non-native Black Squirrel in our area, no interbreeding. Rather, it’s a bare-knuckled fight for dominance the English version is losing. To make matters worse, the Gray Squirrel carries a virus called squirrel pox, to which it, but not the English cousins, is immune.

About all the British Forest Service is able to do, along with a coalition of national conservation organizations - which includes a national organization, Save Our Squirrels (SOS) - is to try to establish some last-ditch reserves for the Red Squirrels in Northern England and Scotland. They may preserve a small population. That is, if the two communities can be kept isolated and the Red Squirrel can be provided enough habitat to make a stand. 

As a fan of our American Gray squirrels. I feed them every morning, but I also grew up on Peter Rabbit stories.  The little British Red Squirrel, smaller, and a bit more reclusive than his American counterpart, has, as he fights for his survival, become a symbol of the gentler side of the British identity. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that the animal kingdom is unforgiving. However, just this once, the invasive species, my own beloved gray squirrel, can, through a little help from mankind, at least be denied a total victory.  “Squirrel Nutkin” and his friends deserve a fighting chance. 

David S. Kerr is an Aquia resident and a former member of the Stafford County School Board. Contact him at info@stafford countysun.com.