“PLEASE DON’T FEED THE CATS” Merritt bylaw officer Bob Davis continues his daily rounds cleaning up cat food left at feeding stations around town. Davis is frustrated that food is still being left at stations despite signs asking people to cease. Phillip Woolgar/Herald
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Grey squirrels could be bad news for local ecosystem By Tim Petruk and Phillip Woolgar KTW/HERALD reporter@newsroom.com
The Nicola Thompson Fraser Advisory Group is warning Nicola Valley residents about what has been identified as an “invasive species.” They might look cute and harmless, but don’t be fooled — an invasive squirrel species new to the Thompson-Nicola Regional District could mean bad news for the local ecosystem. The eastern grey squirrel has recently been found in the area and officials with the Nicola Thompson Fraser Public Advisory Group said the squirrel has made its way from the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island to nearby backyards. “Experts are looking for support in identifying any sightings and have developed a website that provides information on identification and how to report,” said Pat Salm, NTFPAG facilitator. Thompson Rivers University
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wildlife and ecology professor Karl Larsen said the rodent can displace wildlife. “We’re dealing with an invasive species that is notorious around the globe for its ability to establish itself in differenct places and different ecosystems,” he said. “They’ve spread disease, they’ve damaged crops and they will eat other wildlife.” Eastern grey squirrels are distinctive in a few ways, he went on. For starters, they’re big — about twice the size of the native red squirrels Nicola Valley residents are used to seeing around the community. The other giveaway — as the name would indicate — is their colour. “Eastern grey squirrels can be either grey or black,” Larsen explained. “I always explain it to people that it’s like black bears — they can be either black or brown.” Red squirrels are also much more territorial than their eastern counterparts, meaning the invasive species is more likely to be seen congregating in large groups, while red squirrels
Larsen said he believes the squirrels’ numbers in the ThompsonNicola are lower than those in Kelowna and Victoria, but that could change. And, if it does, it could be big trouble for other local wildlife. “They’ll predate on songbirds and songbirds eat insects,” Larsen said. “There are all kinds of problems that could come from that and get more
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New to the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, the eastern grey squirrel could harm the ecosystem. File photo
elaborate.” The invasive rodents are also known to eat fruit — something that poses a larger risk for farmers in the Okanagan, but could still create problems in and around the Nicola Valley. According to Larsen, an example of what could happen if the squirrels are left to run free is playing out right now in Europe. “In Italy, they’ve impacted a lot of the agricultural products,” he said. “They let it go for too long and the population became too large — and now they can’t eradicate them.” Larsen is asking local residents to keep an eye out for eastern squirrels and to notify researchers of any sightings. “Eventually, we’ll get an idea of how many there are and where they are,” he said. “Then, a decision will have to be made higher up [by government officials] about what to do.” Anyone who spots an eastern grey squirrel in or around the Nicola Valley is asked to call 1-855-INTROSQ (468-7077).
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generally go about their business on their own. That trait, Larsen said, also poses problems because it could mean much denser squirrel populations in a given urban environment, leading to any number of ecological impacts. Larsen said it’s still unclear how the unwanted newcomers showed up in Kamloops, but it was likely by way of Vancouver, where they’ve been established for some time. Native to the eastern part of North America, the squirrels are believed to have arrived in B.C. initially as a gift given by the City of New York to the City of Vancouver. They first established themselves in Stanley Park, but eventually spread outward across the Lower Mainland. From there, Larsen said, it would have been easy for a group of the squirrels to hitch a ride aboard a truck or trailer to the Interior. In addition to the ThompsonNicola, eastern grey squirrels are also making their presence known in Kelowna and on Vancouver Island.
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