The proliferation of invasive Finlayson’s squirrel in Metro Manila is now reportedly spreading fast in Batangas and Nueva Ecija, and may soon pose a serious threat to other wildlife, including fruit farms, if their population continues to grow uncontrollably, a wildlife trade specialist warned.
Emerson Sy of the group TRAFFIC said while squirrels are frugivorous animals, they can also attack birds, raid nests and threaten those that are already on the brink due to illegal wildlife trade.
While the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), particularly the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) has an ongoing campaign to eliminate invasive alien species, the squirrel is fast spreading and are even seen outside of Metro Manila invading forests.
“There are now in Batangas, and [had gone] eastward in Nueva Ecija. So they are spreading quite fast,” Sy told participants of an online seminar organized by the Wild Birds Club of the Philippines on May 30.
Some squirrel species, he warned, may eventually cause the extinction of certain bird species, like parrots.
Incidentally, the DENR’s BMB has an ongoing online campaign to save the blue nape parrot from extinction, assailing the multibillion pet trade, which could be one of the main culprits.
The invasive squirrels were first spotted in Metro Manila’s gated villages and golf courses. The BMB, then under former director Theresa Mundita S. Lim, suspected they were brought into the country illegally as pets and were eventually released into the wild by the owner.
It is illegal to release exotic animals into the wild because they can cause the extinction of native species.
According to Sy, there’s a need to pursue the elimination of invasive squirrels to prevent biodiversity, as well as economic loss.
“You don’t need to protect squirrels. It is high time that we pursue to eliminate them,” he said.