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From
September 2006 to March 2007, 11 red squirrels are known
to have been killed on the roads in and around Darras
Hall and Ponteland. It is almost certain that there will
have been others that have not been reported to us. Many of
these deaths will have been caused by careless driving
and therefore could have been avoided. Such deaths have a
big impact on the population of our red squirrels.
The
SOS (part of Northumberland Wildlife
Trust) database contains hundreds of red squirrel road
deaths. Whilst the exact number of casualties is unknown,
it is clear that this figure represents only a small
proportion of the squirrels killed on our roads. This
means that out of a shrinking population hundreds of red
squirrels are also being killed needlessly on roads.
HOW
CAN YOU HELP TO PREVENT ROAD KILL?
Much can be done to stop red squirrels becoming road
casualties and it is an area where local people (that
means you!) can make a difference:
- SLOW
DOWN when driving through Ponteland,
Darras Hall and rural (especially wooded) areas.
In most cases, a couple of minutes on your
journey time will make no difference to you, but
it could make all the difference to wildlife.
- KEEP
TO THE 30 MPH SPEED LIMIT on all the
roads through Darras Hall and Ponteland. Red
squirrels don't have any road sense, so if you
see one on a fence or the pavement, slow
down and be aware that
it may jump into the road!
- Report
any red squirrel road casualties to Ponteland
Red Squirrels. Be as
accurate as possible giving an address or grid
reference of where you saw the squirrel. Dead red
squirrels should be sent off for a post mortem -
please contact us for details
Red
squirrels are by no means the only creatures to fall
victim to cars; the Mammal Society estimates that :
50,000 badgers, 100,000 foxes and 10 million birds die
every year on Britain's roads. In other words, it is
important to be aware of wildlife on the roads wherever
you are.
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