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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