Save the What?
We often hear “save the whales” or “protect the endangered tigers” — But “save the squirrels”? That seems pretty strange… unless a prince is telling you to. Then it’s totally cool.
Advocating for Britain’s red squirrel is none other than Prince Charles.
├óΓé¼┼ôAll I have done is to try to raise awareness of the plight of the red squirrel, and to help all those remarkable individuals across the country who ├óΓé¼ΓÇ£ some for many years ├óΓé¼ΓÇ£ have been battling on its behalf.”
Said the modest Prince of Wales. He continued:
├óΓé¼┼ôToo few people, it seems, understand the importance of the relationship between biodiversity and our own human health. It is important to understand that we are currently going through what many people call the ‘sixth great extinction event├óΓé¼Γäó. Iconic species are being lost across the world at a terrifying rate. We are losing some species at something like 1,000 times above the expected rate. I am not prepared to stand idly by .├óΓé¼┬¥
In just two generations the red squirrel has virtually disappeared from the whole of England and Wales.
From a countrywide population of several million 100 years ago, reds have fallen to about 120,000 today, with 80 per cent north of the Scottish border.