Viral: Train Cancelled As Squirrels Board & Refuse To Get Off
The UK is home to two squirrel species. The grey squirrels, which are not native to the UK, are now far more common in most areas.
A pair of squirrels boarded a train in Britain, but one refused to get off. This forced the service from Reading in southern England to be terminated before it could reach its destination Gatwick Airport. Staff tried to force the group out when the train reached Redhill, but one squirrel refused to get off.
"We can confirm that the 0854 Reading to Gatwick was terminated at Redhill after a couple of squirrels boarded the train at Gomshall without tickets, breaching railway byeclaws," a spokesperson for the railway said.
"We attempted to remove them at Redhill, but one refused to leave and was returned to Reading to bring an end to this nutty tail," he added.
The UK is home to two squirrel species — the Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis).
Grey squirrels, which are not native to the UK, are now far more common in most areas.
There are around 140,000 red squirrels and 2.5 million grey squirrels living in the UK, as per The Wildlife Trusts. The numbers of red squirrels have dramatically declined since the introduction of grey squirrels and are now considered endangered in the UK.
Both species eat tree seeds. Grey squirrels predominantly seek out high-calorie seeds such as acorns, beech nuts, hazelnuts, sweet chestnuts and walnuts. Red squirrels eat these seeds too, but they will also feast on smaller seeds from conifer cones.
They are opportunistic feeders. So, if you provide food for birds in your garden, you may also see these supplies diminished by squirrels taking advantage of an easy meal, according to Natural History Museum.
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