Eating places are urged to serve ‘nutritious’ gray squirrel meat

Grey squirrels ought to be served in eating places, in response to a wildlife marketing campaign group.

Exmoor Squirrel Venture, which is attempting to eradicate grey squirrels on Exmoor to allow them to get replaced by native purple squirrels, says the non-native creatures might be served in stews, pies and kebabs.

The organizers are additionally in talks with two eating places about serving grey squirrel dishes.

The undertaking encourages native owners and landowners to cease feeding grey squirrels, volunteer to protect forests for them, and in some circumstances, with correct coaching from the undertaking, set traps in gardens or fields to catch the squirrels.

Conservationists say purple squirrels, which have lived within the UK for some 10,000 years, may develop into extinct right here in a decade due to the invasive grey squirrel.

That’s loopy! In 2009, Walkers introduced it might begin promoting ‘Cajun Squirrel’ flavored chips after a contest for the general public to recommend new flavors

It’s not the primary time squirrel consuming has been within the information.

In 2009, Walkers introduced that it might begin promoting ‘Cajun Squirrel’ flavored potato chips after a contest for the general public to recommend new flavors.

The next 12 months, the Each day Mail revealed how a department of the Budgens grocery store chain in north London’s modern Crouch Finish had begun promoting squirrels.

Squirrel pie, in the meantime, was a preferred delicacy served till the final century when it disappeared from the British menu, however it has had a revival because the flip of the century because of tries to save lots of its much less aggressive purple cousins ​​from extinction.

Hundreds of grey squirrels have been offered to eating places, butchers and have been offered at farmers’ markets after being legally captured and shot in forests and rural areas.

Ten years later, an anti-vegan protester was filmed consuming a lifeless squirrel in entrance of shocked onlookers at a vegan market.

Grey squirrels carry the squirrel pox virus, which does no hurt to them however is lethal to purple squirrels.

Whereas some environmentalists simply wish to inform the 2 units of squirrels aside, the Exmoor Squirrel Venture needs to do away with grays and reintroduce purple squirrels.

Kerrie Hosegood, appearing supervisor of Exmoor Squirrel Venture, which owns a forestry firm known as Three Atop Woodland Providers, says grey squirrels have brought on an estimated £40 million value of injury to UK bushes.

She stated, ‘I’ve eaten grey squirrel earlier than, having skinned and boned one, and it tastes excellent – gamey, like rabbit.

“It’s excellent to go away within the sluggish cooker and eat in a stew.”

“We would like individuals to assist management the grey squirrel, so we provide coaching.

“Landowners and owners might help deal with the issue of grey squirrels destroying bushes.”

Grey squirrels are one of many important causes for the native extinction of purple squirrels (pictured) throughout a lot of the UK as they compete instantly with them. As a result of they’re larger and stronger, the grays can seize a bigger portion of accessible meals and steal from purple squirrels’ meals reserves

Squirrel might be served in many various dishes, together with root greens in a stew

The grey squirrel is the principle purpose for the decline of the purple squirrel, which has changed the native squirrels in nearly all of England and Wales.

Wildlife teams carefully monitor squirrel populations and conduct focused monitoring of grey squirrels in areas the place purple squirrels are threatened with extinction.

Nonetheless, the Exmoor Squirrel Venture goals to reintroduce purple squirrels by banishing grey squirrels, and is already engaged in capturing and taking pictures grey squirrels.

Mrs Hosegood stated: ‘A grey squirrel will strip the bark to get to the sap beneath, and we have to defend our forest and native bushes.

‘Nonetheless, I don’t assume an animal ought to die in useless, so it is sensible that we eat these squirrels.

“It will even be nice to donate grey squirrels to animal shelters and zoos, which can be battling the price of residing disaster, for use as meals for his or her carnivores.”

WHY ARE RED SQUIRRELS ENDANGERED IN THE UK?

There are estimated to be solely 160,000 purple squirrels within the UK, with solely 15,000 in England.

The grey squirrel is the principle purpose for his or her decline. As a result of grays are larger and stronger, they will seize a bigger portion of accessible meals and steal from purple squirrels’ meals reserves.

Grays additionally carry the Squirrelpox virus, which can’t hurt them however is lethal purple squirrels.

There are estimated to be solely 160,000 purple squirrels within the UK, with solely 15,000 in England

Supply: The animal safety