THE idea of killing thousands of grey squirrels to protect native reds may leave some with a bad taste in their mouth.
However, those put off by the idea of culling the furry-tailed animals are now being advised to start seeing them as food, as it is claimed grey squirrels make very tasty meals.
Thousands of greys are being trapped and shot in the Borders in an initiative to protect their native red cousins from a lethal pox.
Dr Mike Swan, head of education at the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, is suggesting we make the most of the bodies – by eating them.
Squirrel stew has long been on the menu in Dr Swan's household. He has eaten grey squirrel – rumoured to have been the favourite snack of Elvis Presley – for the past 20 years. He also has a taste for casserole and strips of fried flesh rolled, appropriately, in chopped hazelnuts.
The meat, he says, tastes a little like chicken, and he claims a squirrel can provide enough to satiate one hungry human.
"They are rather hard to skin but what's inside is very nice to eat. It's like a slightly firmer, textured chicken and less strongly flavoured than rabbit," he said.
Many grey squirrels carry a pox that leaves them unaffected, but is lethal to the reds, killing them within weeks.
However, Dr Swan said it does not concern him that the meat might be infected. "There's no issue with it affecting us in any way," he said. "It's not a disease we are susceptible to."
He first stumbled across the idea of eating squirrel meat when his father was asked to provide ten animals for a US embassy banquet in London. In North America, Brunswick stew has long been a popular dish, and is traditionally made with squirrel meat.
Dr Swan said: "It's popular there to the extent that they have pretty strong controls on hunting of grey squirrels. They have a completely different view of the grey squirrel to the tree rat view we have here."
Richard Wales, project manager of Red Squirrels in South Scotland – which has launched an initiative to cull thousands of greys to prevent squirrel pox spreading north through the country – has also tried the meat. "It doesn't come much more organic," he said. "It's sustain-able and it's extremely low in cholesterol."
He agrees, however, that one drawback is that it is difficult to skin. "It's not like a rabbit where it slips off like a sock; you really have to use the blade and pull the skin back."
He thinks some people will eat it out of curiosity, but admits that it might not catch on with everyone.
"The vast majority of people aren't really into eating what they kill," he said. "The majority of people wouldn't wring a chicken's neck for a Sunday roast." However, he thinks it is a good idea for people to give it a go.
It is believed that some gamekeepers are already making money out of selling grey squirrels for their meat, fetching up to £3.50 for a brace.
And in Northumberland, where more than 18,000 greys have been killed in the past 18 months, some butchers have even started selling squirrel meat.
However, Ross Minett, campaigns director for Advocates for Animals, said: "I am sure that many people will feel that this is a pretty sick and opportunist idea."
He added that the causing of unnecessary suffering to a grey squirrel was "not only cruel but a prosecutable offence".
The initiative by Red Squirrels in South Scotland is using a trap loan scheme to urge members of the public to help catch greys in their gardens.
A hotline number will be set up, so squirrel control officers can be called out to take away trapped animals to be shot.
The aim is to stop squirrel pox spreading from the Borders, where it is already common, into other parts of Scotland. It is estimated that 75 per cent of the UK's red squirrels live in Scotland, making it one of the last remaining strongholds.
The day I ate a grey… it's just like any other sort of meatMARK Wilkinson, conservation officer at Save Our Squirrels, remembers clearly the first time he tried squirrel stew.
"I started work as a red squirrel conservation officer and had heard a lot of people asking us about eating grey squirrel meat.
"Once the grey squirrels have been killed it's good to be able to do something with the bodies.
"So I decided to try it. I was given a ready-dressed grey squirrel by a friend and portioned it up into the rear haunches and saddle.
"Then I gently casseroled it with a few bits of vegetable and spices.
"I didn't put too much flavour into it, so that I could properly taste the meat.
"I cooked it for about an hour and quite a few people had a taste of it, so it just didn't go very far. Really you need one squirrel per person.
"I don't think it's like chicken, as a lot of people would say. It's just like any other sort of meat, really.
"It has quite a gamey flavour. It's a bit richer than rabbit and it was quite tender because it had been softened by being put in a casserole.
"There's very little fat on it, so it's very healthy and it's very tasty as well.
"I've eaten it again since that first time I tried it, which was about a year or so ago.
"I think it could take off, and I think lots of restaurants will soon start trying it.
"It's seen as a bit quirky. It's also sustainable and a lot of people understand the reasons why we are advocating control. They are saying we might as well use the by-products, since we are killing them.
"I think it might take a bit of time to really catch on in the cities but in the countryside it's just considered to be another sort of game."
FACT BOXSquirrel Nibbles:
Skin one grey squirrel and cut the meat away from the bones.
Chop the meat into medium-sized cubes.
Dip the pieces of meat in flour and beaten egg.
Roll them in chopped hazelnuts.
Fry the meat, turning regularly, until it becomes golden brown.
Serve immediately with a lemon mayonnaise dip.
Perfect as a snack or starter.
Brunswick stew:
Skin four grey squirrels and cut them into portions.
Dip the meat in seasoned flour and fry in oil until cooked through.
Add two chopped onions and fry until soft.
Add one pint of stock – chicken will do – and one tin of chopped tomatoes.
Bring to the boil and add a chopped red pepper (optional).
Season to taste and cook in the oven for an hour, or until tender.
The full article contains 1162 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
