Oral contraceptives could help reduce grey squirrel numbers, research finds

British scientists say trial shows the nonlethal method could help eradicate the invasive species and allow red squirrels to recover

Oral contraceptives for squirrels are working, research has found, and the government hopes they can be used to keep populations down in the UK.

Grey squirrels are an invasive species in the UK, introduced from North America in the 1870s. They pose a problem for wildlife including endangered red squirrels, which they outcompete. They also carry a disease called squirrelpox that does not affect them but can kill reds.