Polecats

[paulb]

snh dont know. just that it was. 

[redrobbie]

A previous contributor pointed out that in the past a bounty was paid out by the council to help reduce the population of feral polecats but this was apparently stopped after an year or two for presumably financial reasons . Judging by the millions Orkney has secured there is money available for such schemes and if the council or some other interested party could obtain even a modest sum from these sources they could restart the bounty scheme offering say £10 per polecat handed in this would go a long way to help reduce their number thus saving loads of ground nesting birds as well as domestic poultry . It would also be a way of putting a bit of cash the way of some enterprising country folk and if cash was forthcoming from external sources the whole thing would be cost neutral to the council or other organisation who would run the scheme .

Edited November 14, 2018 by redrobbie

[redrobbie]

as all land mammals are introduced species it would be a sad shetland if they were all removed. are we to remove humans as we kill loads with our cars ect.  hedgehogs are in decline nationally lets protect ours. now rats are becoming more common and pose a bigger problem. 

As for hedgehogs Shetland must now host a huge number of these creatures  as its now more common to see squashed hedgehogs than rabbits by the roadside . I remember counting 27 dead ones in a cattle grid near Clousta loch many years ago . They had fallen in and couldn't get out . 

Edited November 14, 2018 by redrobbie

[RileyBKing]

Kind of ironic as hedgehogs were originally introduced around the middle of the 19th C (in Tingwall) for the purpose of pest control if I remember right.

 

The history of alien species introduction is not exactly glorious - cane toads in Australia anyone?

[redrobbie]

Where did all these polecats come from ? There must be thousands of them now . Thirty years ago they were unheard off . One day this summer i counted 5 dead ones along a short stretch of road near the brig o fitch which would indicate a very large population .  

Edited November 14, 2018 by redrobbie

[Claadehol]

otters have been here since at least viking times.

[paulb]

why not cull them in winter. at least the ermine could be sold. if you bump off the polecat then the bunny population will go mad. maybe have a few rabbit/polecat/rat catchers. 

[Claadehol]

PaulB...Ermine is the skin of the stoat when it turns white in the winter, nothing like the multicoloured

fur of the polecat/polecat ferret or for for that matter albino ferret.

[Islandsun]

Ah rabbits! Another introduced species. Such things seldom end well.

Here on Fetlar we have no rats, stoats or polecats. Occasionally rabbits become common but then there’s an outbreak of myxomatosis and for three or four years you’d be hard pushed to find a rabbit. In fact the only ones I’ve seen this year have a small warren on the Tresta Links.

The authorities are currently working hard to prevent, or swiftly respond to, alien introductions. The rare bird life on Fetlar could be decimated if stoats got in. As birds account for a lot of our tourist revenue this could be a blow to the community.

It is hard though not to feel warmly towards the odd hedgehog snuffling about. A tin of cat food soon sees them on their way with full bellies. Human double standards huh!