Friday 14 December 2012

Jersey's squirrels are 'not severely inbred', a study finds


Jersey's red squirrel population is not severely inbred, according to a study.

The Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) has paid for a study into the origin of the island's red squirrels.

The study found those in the east of the island are of French descent, and those in the west have English origins, while those in the middle were mixed.

There have been red squirrels in Jersey since they were introduced in 1885, but there are no grey squirrels.

In the UK, red squirrels are endangered because of competition from grey squirrels.
The study was carried out by the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent.

'Dear creatures'
Major Steven Coleman, chief executive of the JSPCA, said the study aimed to find out if the squirrel population had started to inbreed.


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