Who Knew?
A. No, it’s not a population control plan. Although they didn’t exactly volunteer, some gray squirrels residing in the Grady Tract took part in a research project Oct. 8. After being enticed into metal cages containing crackers, peanut butter and sunflower seeds, the surprised subjects were given a gentle anesthetic by UW–Madison veterinary students under the supervision of Joanne Paul-Murphy. Then a blood sample was drawn, and veterinary students examined the squirrels. After they awoke, the squirrels were released.
The project was part of an international collaborative effort to test squirrels for antibodies to the parapox virus, the cause of a fatal disease that has been infecting red squirrels in Great Britain since the 1980s. This infection may pose a significant threat to the red squirrel conservation program in Great Britain and could cause extinction there.
It appears that gray squirrels are resistant to the disease. Antibodies to the virus have been found in gray squirrels, and they may be the reservoir host for the virus. This testing was being undertaken to gather information about the disease origins.
This is the second year gray squirrels have been trapped and tested in the Arboretum. The data from the blood samples collected last year will be added to this year’s samples and sent to London.
While the blood sample collection process was deemed successful, there was a downside to this research effort. Seven traps were taken from the Arboretum. Paul-Murphy says she hopes whoever took the traps understands that the animals were not harmed and that they will return the traps anonymously.
“At its heart, the Arboretum is an outdoor laboratory that’s been used by UW–Madison faculty and students for decades,” says Arboretum Director Greg Armstrong. “A wide variety of valuable research is conducted here, involving plants, animals and insects. It is our hope that the public will respect the work “we do here.”