WELL-meaning wildlife enthusiasts in Central Fife are being warned not to commit a crime by releasing grey squirrels from traps.

The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland says native red squirrels must be given a fighting chance by a programme of trapping and culling non-native greys.

It is warning people not to interfere with the traps, as they could be inadvertently breaking the law.

Furthermore, if a grey squirrel is released into a different area than where they were trapped, it has the potential to introduce squirrelpox to a colony of red squirrels and could have devastating effects.

Minister for Environment and Climate Change and chair of PAW Scotland, Mr Paul Wheelhouse, said, “Wildlife crimes are not just about the obvious crimes of persecution of certain species such as birds of prey.

“We have these laws in place to protect and conserve species such as the red squirrel, which are very dear to people’s hearts and a symbol of Scotland.

“Unfortunately grey squirrels have spread so successfully that they have damaged the chances for our native reds.

“So that we don’t lose the species, we have had to introduce methods to control greys".

He added, “It is vital that people understand the implications of the law in this area and ensure they act within it.” It isn’t so much a problem of people releasing animals caught in traps – much more one of rehabilitating injured or sick animals and then releasing them any old where. They may neither keep nor release a grey squirrel – these are both offences.

The red squirrel is one of the faces that was highlighted in 2013’s campaign for the Year of Natural Scotland.

The programme to protect it against the advances of the larger, grey squirrel is being supported by several members of PAW Scotland, including the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

The Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 makes it illegal to release, or allow to escape, any captive grey squirrel. Offences could incur a fine or prison sentence. Keeping a grey squirrel without a licence is prohibited by an order made under the 1981 Act (and was formerly prohibited by an order created in 1937).

With keeping or release out of the question, the only option is humane dispatch. When grey squirrels are trapped by the SSRS project, this control happens fast. Project staff and volunteers hosting traps on their land visit them twice daily – every morning and again at dusk. Any red squirrel caught unintentionally are released without harm.