Yes, I first heard this some time ago, but they had it on the telly again this morning.
People used to happily shoot them, I daresay a lot still do, but now, because we are so overrun with them and they are considered pests, and do damage, they are trying this contraceptive now.
Only time will tell if it works, ey.
If they are a bad thing for the environment why don’t they just cull them so the red squirrels can re-establish themselves?
Not that easy to cull the ones who frequent people’s back gardens, Bruce.
I have them here every day, come after the bird feed I put out.
They dig my pots and tubs out and scatter compost everywhere, which is annoying as well as killing young plants.
Having said that, I wouldn’t want professionals coming in my garden to shoot, and I don’t see how it would be feasible in domestic gardens anyway. Different in forests perhaps.
A cull seems sensible on the face of it, but as Mups says, it would be nigh on impossible in private gardens. I hope this initiative works, but I can’t help wondering how long the process will take, to completely eradicate the species.
They’re very welcome in our garden. Like all wildlife across the UK they’re under increasing threat every day.
I agree that an awful lot of wildlife is under threat, but I don’t think the grey squirrel is. There are an estimated 2.7 million of them in the U.K. according to the article, and they do untold damage to our trees and therefore to other wildlife that depend on them for their habitats. And they’ve driven the native red squirrel to the edge of extinction.
There’s still red squirrels in the south of England , across the Solent on the Isle of Wight and Brownsea Island in Poole harbour.
However it’s true those cheeky greys need to be kept under control not eradicated imo if the reds are to survive
Maybe contraception is the answer.
Don’t care. There’s a sanctuary for them in our garden.
Just a quick question, how are they going to persuade the grey squirrels to wear condoms?
Now that’s something I’d like to see them try! Oh, er, perhaps not though…
I heard this on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning. Apparently it has something to do with the greys destroying many of the new trees being planted by the Forestry Commission to help combat climate change.
at the idea of squirrel condoms.
The mental image is funny though 
I remember that there was a culling initiative back when I was a lad where you could get sixpence for every grey squirrel you had killed with your air gun
Worse would be if it were in the form of a pessary!
AFAIK it’s still legal to shoot them because they’re an invasive species.
Up until 1958 there was a two bob bounty on every grey tail surrendered.
I’ve just Googled this and, yes, it’s still legal to shoot them. You can also trap them. The one thing you CAN’T do with a trapped grey squirrel is release it back into the wild - that’s illegal.
Simples Vlad, they will do the same as they do with us humans…Put something in the water for squirrels, but invent a vaccine for humans…Wait a minute… 
All wildlife are welcome in our garden.
We have foxes,squirrels,all manner of birds,owls,blue tits,coal tits,robins,wrens,woodpeckers,sparrows,magpies,crows,blackbirds and bats to name but a few,and on occasions we see the odd fallow deer walking along the canal path,which is at the back of our garden.
We just love seeing them all.
Nature at its best.