A CONSERVATION group in Moffat will continue to reduce the area’s grey squirrel population after securing community funding for trap sensors.
The Moffat and District Red Squirrel Group (MADRSG) was established three years ago and carries out surveys of the squirrel population, both red and grey, and traps and humanely disposes of greys in order to protect the native red squirrels.
A representative of MADRSG attended Tuesday’s meeting of Moffat and District Community Council to present their funding application for a £490 grant to purchase trap sensors in order to boost the group’s efficiency. They said: “We started as the Moffat and District group three years ago to reduce the grey squirrel population as much as we can which we have to do by trapping, there’s no other way to do it.
“Under normal circumstances we check the traps twice a day and even at that it’s possible that a squirrel could be left in the trap for several hours and although the trap is completely covered and there’s plenty of food, it’s still fairly stressful for the squirrel.
“What we are asking for is money buy two more mink police sensors to put on the traps so that when the trap is activated the sensor sends a signal to your smart phone so that we can go to the trap directly and deal with it, especially when we capture a red squirrel.”
The application was passed unanimously by the community council and the sensors will be purchased in the coming weeks.
