The King has been praised for his “innate understanding that we need to be in harmony with nature” during a visit to a project developing oral contraceptives for grey squirrels to protect endangered red squirrels. Charles toured the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s York Biotech Campus on Tuesday, where temperatures neared 30C.
Dressed in a light grey, pin-striped suit with a pink shirt and darker pink tie, the King spoke with scientists and volunteers about the project, which aims to slow grey squirrel population growth through a feeding programme delivering contraceptives. He was shown large pens housing dozens of squirrels, though none emerged from their boxes due to the heat.
Dr Julie Lane, head of the National Wildlife Management Centre at APHA, told Charles: “You’ve been championing our red squirrels for decades now, which is why we’ve been so keen to show you the work we’ve been doing here.” She added: “Your leadership with respect to looking after our native species, we’re so grateful for. Plus, your innate understanding that we need to be in harmony with nature to protect our special species.”
The King was presented with a framed photograph of a red squirrel taken by field ecologist Erin Thomas at the Yorkshire Arboretum. Before leaving, he spoke with staff about their work in animal quarantine, remarking on the variety of species brought in, including parrots and raccoons.
After the visit, Dr Lane said Charles was “very interested” in the oral contraception work, particularly due to his love for red squirrels. She explained that combining contraceptives with standard control methods is more effective at reducing grey squirrel numbers, which she described as “our biggest threat to biodiversity in this country at the moment” due to tree damage.
