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Help red squirrels, public urged
The public are being urged to track the UK's red squirrel population to help protect it from a deadly virus.
The Wildlife Trusts charity wants to guard against the threat posed to the UK's estimated 160,000 red squirrels by squirrel pox, carried by greys.
By people reporting sightings of reds during Squirrel Week, which starts later, it hopes to identify areas where protective measures may be required.
These could include culling of grey squirrels, which are more common.
Conservationists say culling is a necessary evil to help preserve red squirrels for the future.
The native red squirrel has been given the highest level of protection under UK law through the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Its numbers have been declining steadily since the introduction of its bigger and bolder cousin, the North American grey, in the 19th Century.
There are believed to be just 25,000 reds left in England, concentrated in a few pockets including the Isle of Wight, Poole Harbour in Dorset, Northumberland, Cumbria and Merseyside.
A number of organisations across the UK will co-ordinate the week-long squirrel-tracking project, including Save our Squirrels in Northumberland.
Philippa Mitchell from the organisation said the red species could die out in just 10 years unless action was taken.
Conservationists are hoping to develop a vaccine against squirrel pox within that time period.
Ms Mitchell said more cases of the disease, which does not affect grey squirrels, were spotted every month and the problem was most acute in the autumn.
She said: "The young are moving into new areas at this time of year, so young greys could be moving into areas where they weren't before, and could be taking squirrel pox with them." The public are being urged to track the UK's red squirrel population to help protect it from a deadly virus. ... more -
WHAT is that SMELL?!
"Prison Break" hottie-bad-girl Jodi Lyn O'Keefe has a confession...
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United Kingdom Talk Tuesday 26th August 2008
Tuesday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch the show on here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats.
In today's show :
The sun returns !
New Russian friends.
Cat's - dirty stop outs !
Will they say anything ?
The honey has changed.
Don't worry about the English.
Nikki moves to Saudi, and is too hot !
What are Oysters like ?
Vile smelling cheese.
Tracey's dog.
It's difficult finding people on Facebook.
A cigarette box is dumped.
September soon.
Small swimming trunks on the Olympics.
The corn.
Mull of Kintyre cheese.
We LOVE Boris Johnson.
New lights.
A special offer on the blueberries.
Someone else has a thing for "W"'s.
Superarts.
Stuck to the bottom.
A white face.
Gordon Brown - so unfit for the Olympics !
More out of date food.
Do I look different ?
Joe IS worthy.
A lot of them are idiots - not all - just some.
An operation.
The squirrels have a near miss.
Pet insurance.
Will they notice ?
Email : chris@unitedkingdomtalk.co.uk
WWW.UNITEDKINGDOMTALK.CO.UK Tuesday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch the show on here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats. ... more -
Animal cruelty or fluke of nature?
What police at first thought was a bizarre case of animal cruelty turns out likely to have been a tragic fluke of nature.
But one animal rehabilitation specialist still suspects foul play.
Norfolk OPP were called to a Simcoe cemetery Thursday after a citizen noticed five baby squirrels barely alive, their tails tied together.
Police found the rodents -- four have since died -- in distress. They put out a news release referring to an act of animal cruelty and asking for public help to crack the case.
But after some research, officers learned the squirrels' mother may be the culprit.
"It might not be an uncommon thing that the mother grabs the babies and strings them together," said Const. Jeff Walraven.
Elementary, says Brian Salt, who, over a 25-year career in wildlife rehabilitation, has seen tangled baby squirrels about a dozen times.
"It happens when the mom makes her nest in a pine tree," said Salt, director of Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Mt. Brydges. "Pine sap causes the babies' tails to stick together."
The sticky sap can make the tails look like they were fused together, said Salt. "I've only ever seen one case where there didn't appear to be pine sap as a binding agent."
In this case, the tails were so tangled, police couldn't figure out how they were tied. What police at first thought was a bizarre case of animal cruelty turns out likely to have been a tragic fluke of nature. ... more -
Eat a grey, save the red
A 4-minute doc on one man's obsession with squirrels. You will never look at this four-legged friend in the same way again!
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Drunk Squirrel
All of my participation on Current (for the most part) has been based in politics. Often, said participation has been 'aaaaaaaaargh' inclined.
A friend of mine taped this bit. It literally made me howl, I was at work (when I watched it) and my mascara was mussed thusly, I looked like Alice Cooper the rest of the night ... just thought I'd share the laugh. An exercise in levity if you will.
Enjoy ... hopefully.
If you're put off ... spare me the angry missives.
Note: No animals were harmed in the production of this film. Piss-drunk, yeah, mebbee ... but outside of a wee headache the next day, the critter made it through without a mark. (My friend assured me of such.) All of my participation on Current (for the most part) has been based in politics. Often, said participation has been 'aaaaaaaaa... more -
Sugar Bush: The World's Most Photographed Squirrel
Kelly Foxton took in the baby squirrel in 2003, and after a year of gaining its trust, began training the squirrel to pose in patriotic photos. Kelly Foxton took in the baby squirrel in 2003, and after a year of gaining its trust, began training the squirrel to pose in patrioti... more
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"Squirrel, it's what's for dinner" & debunking Heartland I...
Europeans go crazy for ethical squirrel meat. Bloggers can make a difference. DeSmogBlogger Kevin Grandia pwns The Heartland Institute for publishing a list of 500 scientists that deny global warming, and scientists are pissed! And Sarah Silverman's for human rights in Burma. Burma can't wait!
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From Zaproot with Jessica Williamson
ViroPOP is a Next New Networks property.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Europeans go crazy for ethical squirrel meat. Bloggers can make a difference. DeSmogBlogger Kevin Grandia pwns The Heartland Institute... more -
Squirrel hurl
A man from Muncie, IN was arrested for abusing a dead squirrel. The charge? Illegal possession of a fox squirrel out of season...
What? Is that even possible? Click the link to find out more about this nutty story. A man from Muncie, IN was arrested for abusing a dead squirrel. The charge? Illegal possession of a fox squirrel out of season... ... more -
Attack Of The Mutant Black Squirrels - Stray Dogs Today, Humans Tomorrow?
Mutant 'testosterone-fuelled' Russian black squirrels attacked and killed a stray dog in a park in Russia three years ago. These mutant squirrels have appeared in Great Britain and could easily breed to the point of dominating and perhaps eliminating other types of native squirrels. It is not inconceivable that in a few years or decades, these squirrels could attack and perhaps even kill humans. Competition for food as the globe heats up... Mutant 'testosterone-fuelled' Russian black squirrels attacked and killed a stray dog in a park in Russia three years ago. ... more
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Treeless Squirrel says "Plant More Trees, Please."
Just one of the benefits of planting trees.
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Squirrels bite dog to death
Squirrels have bitten to death a stray dog which was barking at them in a Russian park, local media report. They are said to have scampered off at the sight of humans, some carrying pieces of flesh. A pine cone shortage may have led the squirrels to seek other food sources, although scientists are sceptical.
Gruesome story, but hopefully these flesh eating squirrels won't mutate into giants as a result of lingering Chernobyl radiation, then get on a boat to England, then come to my front door and eat my arms and legs. Squirrels have bitten to death a stray dog which was barking at them in a Russian park, local media report. They are said to have scam... more -
Squirrels network like facebook friends
The squirrel world has its own Kevin Bacon -- a socially well-connected individual dubbed Mercedes by the scientist who studies him.
The major difference between human and squirrel social networks is that people, as the conventional wisdom goes, appear to be "separated" by five or six degrees. For squirrels, it takes only three connections for one member of a population to get to any other.
The discovery that squirrels have social networks not only illustrates the complexities of animal behavior, but also says something about the properties shared by all networks. The squirrel world has its own Kevin Bacon -- a socially well-connected individual dubbed Mercedes by the scientist who studies him. ... more -
Squirrel à la Huckabee?
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee recently said that while in college, he cooked squirrel in a popcorn popper. Samantha Henig wonders: Is it safe to prepare and eat squirrel like that? Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee recently said that while in college, he cooked squirrel in a popcorn popper. Samantha ... more
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Seriously, a popcorn popper?
"[Huckabee] said he used to eat squirrels, cooking them up in his popcorn popper. Ewwwwhhh! And what's up with that Chuck Norris shadow, following him everywhere like a late-night rerun?" -- NY Times blogger on Mike "WTF?" Huckabee "[Huckabee] said he used to eat squirrels, cooking them up in his popcorn popper. Ewwwwhhh! And what's up with that Chuck No... more
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The Squirrel Catapult is Out.
Just what budding sociopaths need; endorsement for animal cruelty.. yet I cannot help to look away!!
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The death of Whitey
Whitey, otherwise known as the Albino Squirrel on the OSU campus, was killed by a hawk on November 9th. You would not believe how much attention this received... Whitey, otherwise known as the Albino Squirrel on the OSU campus, was killed by a hawk on November 9th. You would not believe how much... more
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Democrat propaganda targets toddlers!
"I just got my copy of the book
in the mail today. It was
the coolest thing I've ever seen
in print! My nine-year-old and I
laughed and laughed! I will
recommend this to all of my
Democrat friends!"
-Patty Davies, Pittsburgh, PA "I just got my copy of the book in the mail today. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen ... more
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