Finland: Flying Squirrels Attract the Rage of EU Skeptics | Global Ideas | '
Big black eyes and the corners of his mouth pulled up, as if it smiles – hard to believe that the sweet European Squirrel (Pteromys volans) causes so much trouble. In Finland, the palm-sized rodents are not only a scourge to landowners and urban developers – they have also become targets of general anger against the European Union.
The EU Habitat Directive protects the habitat of the European Gliding Horse. These are mainly economically valuable forests. Forestry accounts for around one fifth of Finnish exports. Many landowners perceive the European protective measures as unwanted interference. In addition, construction projects have stalled since Gleithörnchen also moved to the cities.
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"When people talk about flying doe, it's not about the animals, they use it as a symbol, symbolizing the EU's power over people," says Maarit Jokinen of ‘. The scientist from the University of Helsinki has studied the attitude of humans towards the flying squirrels.
Flying squirrels versus lumberjack
European flying squirrels sail rather than fly. They move from tree to tree
Although protected by the European Squirrel, its population in Finland has dropped 40 percent in the past decade. Economic interests, such as logging, are their biggest enemy.
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European Squirrel have a furry skin between their front and hind legs. When they jump from tree to tree, it spans up like a paraglider. That is why they are also called flying squirrels. On the ground, however, they are slow and cumbersome – and easy prey for predators.
If now entire forest areas are cut down, an insurmountable barrier can arise for the animals.
But the compassion for the animals is limited. The media has picked out extreme cases in which construction projects have been hindered by protective measures.
With headlines such as "Gleithörnchen stealing the Christmas magic" or "Flying glove can redirect even highways" mood was made.
Fix the PR problem of the fur animals
A new, EU-funded project is now set to improve the situation of the flying squirrels in Finland. The state-owned company Metsähallitus, which manages the state-owned forests, is to put the flying squirrels in a better light and thus bring about an image change.
Environmentalists are advising on how to protect the European flying doe on the land of Juho Korvenoja
The so-called Flying Squirrel LIFE Project makes it possible to observe the shy forest dwellers via livestream.
Above all, the project wants to involve landowners in the plans for enlargement of protected areas – instead of fighting them.
Juho Korvenoja owns farmland and forests in southern Finland. He participates in the LIFE project and has agreed to leave some woodland untouched to protect the animals. "For the Squirrel it's a long way in terms of its image, and I think the people who want to protect it still have a lot to learn," he says ‘.
That is exactly what the conservationists are trying to do. Some, however, also call for stricter regulation of the areas where the flying rodents settle.
At the moment it is up to the landowner how many trees they leave around the nesting sites of the flying doe. Andrea Santangeli, a scientist at the University of Helsinki, complains that there are too few and that the authorities are not monitoring them closely enough. "I think that should be settled clearly and uniformly, instead of leaving the decision to the forest owners," he says ‘.
The Finnish Forestry Agency says landowners have been known to cut the trees that are the perfect habitat for flying squirrels, so they can not even settle there.
Beagles collect data
Tanja Karpela with Vihi, who is trained to track down European flying squirrels
Eija Hurme, director of the LIFE project, argues that ignorance rather than evil is behind the behavior of forest owners.
Therefore, she and her team collect accurate data about the flying squirrels, including the size of the population. Since the animals are nocturnal, that's not so easy. They use sniffer dogs for this.
Tanja Karpela is responsible for the training of the animals. She says the dogs are feeling the droppings of the flying squirrels. So you can get an overview of the population size.
Good neighbors
In Espoo, the second largest city in Finland, the numbers are already promising. About 800 Gleithörnchen live there. It is considered a successful model for the compatibility of nature conservation and urban planning.
Environmentalists believe that many Finns would like to live with European Squirrel in their neighborhood
The Gleithörnchen is by no means a symbol of foreign interference. The locals are proud of their animals. Cities like Espoo show that "recreation areas and flying squirrels really fit together well", says Eija Hurme.
In fact, she adds, this could increase the value of real estate if nesting insects nest in the nearby green spaces. Then the buyers would know that, "if a flying doe lives there, nobody will cut down the trees, so they will have forest outside their window in the future."
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