Statement on Prince Charles' Backing For a Cull of Grey Squirrels

Following reports that The Prince of Wales is backing plans to kill grey squirrels in the news today, please find a statement from PETA below:

All squirrels feel pain, enjoy raising families, and want to live – regardless of what colour they are. Whereas today, grey squirrels are portrayed by a vocal few as villains and protecting red squirrels is fashionable, for many decades, it was the cherished red who was targeted by foresters and gamekeepers for stripping bark from trees and snatching birds' eggs. "Squirrel clubs" used to kill thousands of red squirrels every year, just as grey squirrels are now being killed. It is people, not squirrels, who have damaged and consumed vast tracts of woodland and other wildlife-friendly landscapes that otherwise would have provided both greys and reds with more than enough space in which to thrive. The best way to help red squirrels is to support the habitat that best supports their survival and to worry about group health rather than focusing on numbers that fluctuate naturally and are self-regulating over time. We were the ones who brought grey squirrels across the Atlantic. The least that we can do is find a peaceful and humane solution to an issue that we created in the first place.