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 29.5 1.5

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 11.31 19.3

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

In 2005, 66.5% of the population thought that the Government should be doing more to save red squirrels.