The “Squirrels are not endangered” letter (Our Readers’ Views, June 1) may cause confusion in calling for the Western gray squirrel to be removed from the endangered species list. The Western gray is certainly endangered, and exists now in only a few areas of Washington, but not in Vancouver.
It’s the invasive, prolific Eastern gray squirrel that has pushed out our native Western grays, and has caused the writer and others so much trouble. When we first moved to Vancouver decades ago, we still had one Western gray on our property. Once seen, it is not easily forgotten as the largest of the gray squirrels, with a beautiful, flowing, body-length tail. The Westerns are unlike what some people would call cute peanut-eaters, and others “rats with bushy tails” that have taken over most of the state.
