Cumulus Support

GraemeT wrote:Can they be used for anything?
I'm just wondering if they'd be good in a stew or something....

Target practice? Door stop?

GraemeT wrote:{Edit: Come to think of it, I can't think of too many introduced species in Australia (or anywhere else for that matter) which haven't eventually been called a pest, vermin or some other unsavory name.}

Hope that doesn't include Poms? I was there myself between 62-64 as one of the 10 pound poms!

Very true!! I believe it was animal rights people who released thousands of mink into the wild, to decimate our indigenous species! Likewise wild boar from farms!

Gina wrote:Very true!! I believe it was animal rights people who released thousands of mink into the wild, to decimate our indigenous species! Likewise wild boar from farms!

I think boars and wolves were native in the UK until we killed them all.... but come to think of it, we humans do tend to interfere with nature. I have also seen terrapins wild in our water ways, I don't think they were ever native

Squirrels we just think we have problems. In south Florida, imported pythons for pets has gotten out of hand. Pet owners have for years let these snakes go when they have gotten too big to handle. They can grow to twenty feet. Now these snakes have found each other. Estimates in the wild range 30,000 and up.

Hmm... theres an idea; do they eat squirrels?

Best way to stop them - kill them, have no sentiment.

word of warning though - the kill must be instant, do not drown them or make the death in anyway prolonged so that it could be said that the animal suffered as the RSPCA will prosecute you for animal cruelty and then you would have a criminal record.
even though they are vermin the RSPCA just look for easy publicity.

don't let this put you off though - kill.

Thanks -- I have spoken to my gardener (who is also the local farmers son) and he is going to arrange for them to 'go away' (kill them). He tells me that they have been killing them for a number of years around here in order to protect the few red ones still remaining.

He assures me this is done humanely and quickly; they are caught in a large cage first to esnure they are grey and not red (or anything else), then euthanized