Conservation of red squirrels cannot be successful without addressing their primary threat: replacement by grey squirrels through resource competition, accelerated by squirrel pox disease where it is present. In Scotland, grey squirrel control is carried out by live-catch cage-traps combined with humane despatch of the target animal at the trap-side, so that red squirrels may be released unharmed.The scale of the grey squirrel control task falling to SSRS demanded a strategic approach from the outset, focussing effort where it was likely to have the greatest beneficial impact on Scotland's red squirrel population.
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