Grey squirrels are an invasive species causing significant harm to red squirrels and woodland birds. Lethal control raises welfare questions alongside conservation justifications.
Grey squirrel control involves a genuine ethical tension: individual grey squirrels are sentient animals capable of suffering, but their presence causes the death of red squirrels and woodland birds through disease transmission and predation. Welfare-conscious control prioritises methods that minimise individual suffering: well-maintained traps checked daily, shooting by trained operators using appropriate ammunition, and avoiding anticoagulant poisoning methods that cause prolonged suffering. The development of immunocontraception offers the prospect of population reduction without killing - a welfare improvement that could eventually reduce the need for lethal control.