SBS Dateline | Battle of Britain

Don’t be fooled by the sight of cute fluffy squirrels frolicking in the British countryside, there’s a serious battle under way in the quiet picturesque villages.

It’s between the grey squirrels, introduced from North America in the 19th century, and the native red squirrels, who are being displaced by the greys and killed off by a virus they carry.

Filmmaker Nicholas Berger visits the north east of England, where a ‘red army’ of locals is serious about ridding the region of the grey invaders and saving the reds from extinction.

But is trapping them, killing them and then eating them a step too far in the war on squirrels?

WATCH - Unfortunately this story is no longer available for copyright reasons, but you can watch the original version on the YouTube channel of film distributor, Journeyman Pictures.

FACTFILE - Find out more about the two different types of squirrel, and the red squirrel conservation groups featured in Dateline's report.

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