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Red Squirrels Threatened by Virus
A deadly virus known as squirrel poxvirus is spreading at such an alarming rate that scientists believe that some population of the red squirrels in the north of England will be completely wiped out in 10 years, conservationists reported.
The red squirrels are some of Britain’s last remaining and they have been around for the past 10,000 years. The red squirrels have been threatened after the arrival of the grey squirrels more than 100 years ago. The grey squirrels have out raced the red squirrels for food resulting in the decline of the red squirrels. The virus which is believed to be carried by the grey squirrels has brought the population of the red squirrels down by 25 times.
Since there are no vaccines yet, the only way to protect the red squirrels now would be to cull the grey squirrels said Peter Lurz of Newcastle University. He also mentioned that it is vital to control the disease because it is threatening to spread to Scotland. Scientists with the aid of computer simulations show that more than 60% of the grey squirrels need to be culled to save the red squirrels.
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