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PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY
ESI commissions NEMS Market Research to poll a representative sample of the British population to gauge public awareness of and attitudes to certain squirrel issues.
Each year, over 1,000 people have responded. Here is a summary of the results.
Q1. Are you aware that the grey squirrel is responsible for the decline to almost extinction of the native red squirrel?
|
|
Yes % |
No % |
Don’t know % |
|
Jan 2004 |
69.3 |
29.9 |
0.8 |
|
Jan 2005 |
69.7 |
28.9 |
1.4 |
|
Mar 2006 |
73.8 |
25.3 |
0.9 |
|
Feb 2007 |
71.4 |
26.9 |
1.8 |
|
Jan 2008 |
68.9 |
26.9 |
1.5 |
|
Feb 2009 |
74.5 |
23.6 |
1.8 |
|
Jan 2011 |
74.2 |
25.0 |
0.8 |
Q2. Do you think the population of the alien grey squirrel should be controlled in some way in order to preserve from extinction and restore the red squirrel population?
|
|
Yes % |
No % |
Don’t know % |
|
Jan 2004 |
61.7 |
22.1 |
16.1 |
|
Jan 2005 |
68.2 |
15.1 |
16.7 |
|
Mar 2006 |
69.1 |
11.5 |
19.4 |
|
Feb 2007 |
63.9 |
13.6 |
22.5 |
|
Jan 2008 |
69.4 |
11.3 |
19.3 |
|
Feb 2009 |
68.5 |
14.1 |
17.3 |
|
Jan 2011 |
68 |
15.5 |
16.5 |
Q3. There is now research underway to develop a contraceptive pill to stop greys breeding. If it meant that red squirrels could again live in our parks and woods, would you support the use of such a non lethal method to remove all the American greys from the UK?
|
|
Yes % |
No % |
Don’t know % |
|
Feb 2006 |
62.7 |
20.4 |
16.9 |
|
Feb 2007 |
61.3 |
17.8 |
20.9 |
|
Jan 2008 |
62.9 |
19.4 |
17.7 |
|
Feb 2009 |
59.7 |
25.8 |
14.41 |
|
Jan 2011 |
65.6 |
22 |
12.4 |
New Question for 2011
Q4. The American grey squirrel has driven the native red squirrel from much of southern Scotland and northern England. There are now 1500 volunteers working hard to cull the alien grey to allow our native red to return to this part of the country. It is working and the reds are coming back. Do you support this campaign to save our reds.
|
|
Yes % |
No % |
Don’t know % |
|
Jan 2011 |
73.3 |
16.4 |
10.3 |
