Squirrelly: Eastern grey squirrels are here to stay on Vancouver Island, even if they drive some of us
Janis Ringuette, Times Colonist
Published: Sunday, March 05, 2006
Creamed squirrel on biscuits is on the menu for thousands of North Americans. So are squirrel stew, fried squirrel and squirrel chowder. Eastern grey squirrel is considered a small-game species, like rabbit, in many areas -- hunters go after "bushy tails" with shotguns, rifles and bows during regular hunting seasons.

Between 30 million and 40 million squirrels are "harvested" every year in the U.S. At one pound each, that's a lot of low-cholesterol squirrel meat.

"I think that is just disgusting," declares Victoria resident Pearl Walbern, 77, who rides a motorized scooter to Beacon Hill Park twice a day to feed her squirrel buddies. Eating squirrels is as offensive to her as eating pet cats.

"It must be just Americans hunting these wonderful little creatures," she says, as a squirrel sits nearby, big eyes alert, bushy tail twitching, a peanut held in both front paws. "We wouldn't allow killing squirrels in Canada."

Ah, but we do. In New Brunswick, squirrel-hunting season opens in October and runs through January. In Newfoundland, hunting extends through February and in Labrador, through March. An Ontario hunting magazine calls squirrels "challenging to hunt and excellent fare for the pot."

In B.C. there is no hunting season for Eastern grey squirrels. We don't need one -- it's legal to kill them, humanely, any day of the year on private property and Crown land. Native species in the province -- red, Douglas and northern flying squirrels -- are protected, but grey squirrels are an introduced species, classified as "pests" under Section C of the Wildlife Act.

Since 1966, when three grey squirrels imported from Ontario escaped from a Metchosin game farm, the species has increased its range dramatically, according to Ministry of Environment policy analyst Scott Black. He says early indications are that grey squirrels are a serious threat to native species such as the native red squirrel.

In a recent study, however, University of B.C. PhD candidate Emily Gonzales concludes human development, not competition from grey squirrels, is responsible for the decline of the native red squirrel. Red squirrels prefer coniferous forests, so as forests decline, so do they. Eastern grey squirrels are increasing, by contrast, because they prefer residential habitats, which are on the rise.

It has not yet been demonstrated that grey squirrels have negative effects on other native wildlife either, Gonzales says. With no accurate count of squirrels on Vancouver Island and little research in the area, she says more information is needed before government takes action or dedicates funds to management and control of grey squirrels.

Instead, last April, the ministry banned wildlife rehabilitation centres on Vancouver Island from releasing non-native animals in an effort to protect native species. Other wildlife rehabilitation facilities in B.C., such as those in the Lower Mainland, were not affected by the ban.

The new rule puts Metchosin's Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC) in a terrible position: When injured and orphaned grey squirrels show up at the door, staff must either refuse to accept them or kill them. Neither alternative is acceptable to manager Sara Dubois, who says the centre wasn't consulted by the ministry before the change was implemented, despite the fact the ministry regularly visits the facility, which files annual reports on its activities. "[We] are still concerned that there is no information which explains what to do with the animals except 'no release,'" says Dubois, who meets the ministry next week.

Last year, as a compromise, 40 squirrels were spayed or neutered free by a vet before release, she says, but the ministry won't agree to that this year. Dubois's proposal to transport Island squirrels to the Lower Mainland for release was also rejected. Now desperate to find a humane and biologically sound solution, she admits time is running out.

"Squirrel babies usually start to arrive in April, often in groups, as trees are cut down or cats drag them out of their nests," says Dubois, who worries that people turned away from Wild ARC will try to rear baby squirrels or treat hurt squirrels on their own. Without Wild ARC's special feeding formulas and training in animal behaviour, the animals are likely doomed, she says. Last year, one woman tried to raise a batch of squirrels on her own breast milk. Another used Gatorade -- the animal ended up with liquid in its lungs, which is common when people aren't trained in proper feeding techniques, says Dubois.

There's the additional problem of uncontrolled releases. Wild ARC is careful not to release squirrels into new areas, but the public may not be so scrupulous. On release, home-reared squirrels often fail to recognize their own species, natural food or predators and can be aggressive to humans and other animals.

In Victoria, grey squirrels are the most frequently seen wild mammal, active all year. Despite the name, the tree-dwelling rodents come in other colours, including brown and black, and are much larger than forest-dwelling native red squirrels, which also have ear tufts. Their bushy tails provide counterbalance during spectacular leaps, and tails are also useful as portable blankets and umbrellas.

For squirrel-haters, cute quirks hardly make up for what they see as squirrel crimes. Home invasions top the list: Squirrels-in-the-attic calls flood 15 local pest-control companies every year. One company alone, Professional Ecological Services Ltd., received between 100 and 120 squirrel calls last year. They respond by installing one-way doors on openings used by squirrels, then blocking the entry when squirrels are outside. Timing is crucial, office manager Dona Walker warns. "If you hear activity in the fall, winter or early spring, call as soon as you can, before those babies come."

If squirrel babies are present, homeowners are stuck with their unwelcome guests for a couple of months until they grow up. Excluding mother squirrels is not a good choice, since they do a lot of damage trying to reach their young.

Owners of backyard bird-feeders resent marauders with walnut-size brains outwitting expensive "squirrel-proof" seed dispensers. Despite water cannons, spring-loaded doors, baffles, poles coated with vaseline, electrified feeders and other ingenious devices, squirrels cart off tons of birdseed. Gardeners hate squirrels digging up carefully planted camas, daffodil, tulip and crocus bulbs. Squirrels chomp on produce, too. "They ate one or two bites out of each ripe tomato," says retired computer consultant Jerry Zinser, 68.

Joel Bandoff, a 23-year-old environmental studies student walking in Beacon Hill Park, says it's unfair to blame squirrels when humans were responsible for introducing them here -- along with house sparrows, starlings, Norway rats and cockroaches. Pausing to watch a family feeding ducks and squirrels by a green "Do Not Feed the Wildlife" sign, he says, "Humans are the most invasive species on the planet. We're the problem"

Herb Fueser of James Bay doesn't worry about any of that. He has been coming to Beacon Hill Park once a week for years, he says, pocket stuffed with "squirrel dessert." Unencumbered with deep thoughts about invasive species, he throws peanuts to his favourites. He enjoys it. And why not? Love 'em or hate 'em, Eastern grey squirrels are here to stay.

Is it fair to blame grey squirrels for the decline of native wildlife? Dubois says humans and their pets are the big problem. "Over 20 per cent of our patients are injured by cats and four per cent by dogs. We are more concerned about their impact on native wildlife."

Janis Ringuette is a Victoria writer.