Red Menace?

There is a great deal of varied postal debate (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/oct/26/wildlife-red-squirrel) in response to an article by Tim Adams about the proposed cull of the Grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) to benefit the indigenous Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), allegedly directly endangered by the introduction of its American cousin. Amongst the 'factoids' thrown into the equation by the very diversely-motivated writers are that all species have at one time introduced themselves to the UK, that the reds were at one time culled because of their perceived damage to trees and bird's eggs and the claim that the reds are developing immunity to the 'deadly' parapox virus (blamed in the greys). I predict a riot.