A Scurry of Squirrels: Nurturing The Wild

Description

Polly Pullar has had a passion for red squirrels since childhood. As a wildlife rehabilitator, she knows the squirrel on a profoundly personal level and has hand-reared numerous litters of orphan kits, eventually returning them to the wild. In this book she shares her experiences and love for the squirrel and explores how our perceptions have changed. Heavily persecuted until the 1960s, it has since become one of the nation's most adored mammals. But we are now racing against time to ensure its long-term survival in an ever-changing world. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Polly's Perthshire farm, where she works continuously to encourage wildlife great and small, she highlights how nature can, and indeed will, recover if only we give it a chance. In just two decades, her efforts have brought spectacular results, and numerous squirrels and other animals visit her wild farm every day.

Polly Pullar is a field naturalist, writer, photographer and wildlife rehabilitator who grew up in Ardnamurchan. She contributes to a wide selection of publications and has written numerous books including the acclaimed A Drop in the Ocean: Lawrence MacEwen and the Isle of Muck. She is co-author of Fauna Scotica: Animals and People in Scotland. Described by the Guardian as 'arguably the most versatile and inventive vet in the world' , Romain Pizzi has operated on a vast range of animals, from giraffes, penguins and pigeons to tarantulas, tigers and sharks. In addition to his work at the Scottish SPCA National Wildlife Rescue Centre, he is Director of Wildlife Surgery International and has appeared on a number of TV documentaries, including Vet on the Loose and Big Animal Surgery.

'A Scurry of Squirrels is a delight. Part history, part natural history, and part memoir, and written in Polly Pullar's compelling and always readable style, it will appeal to anyone captivated by one of Britain's favourite wild creatures' -- Stephen Moss, author and naturalist 'Naturalist Polly Pullar has written a charming account of her adventures with Tufty-eared friends in A Scurry of Squirrels: Nurturing the Wild' * Herald * 'In A Scurry of Squirrels, Pullar shares her experiences and love for the red squirrel, and, with reference to history and natural history, explores how our perceptions of the animals have changed. The book highlights how nature can, and indeed will, recover if we give it a chance' * Dundee Courier * 'Polly Pullar brings her lifetime's experience of Scottish nature into this compelling account set around the rehabilitation of orphaned and injured wild animals at her Perthshire home.... It's a very personal tale of paradise lost and hope that it can be regained' -- Sheena Harvey * BBC Countryfile * 'Truly fascinating...accompanied by personal photographs and anecdotes, this book is. A good read for any wilderness enthusiasts or strong believers in the preservation of native animals' * Scottish Field *