We’ve released 803 squirrels at an airport - here’s why

We’ve decided to help a species that has found its last refuge in a very strange ecosystem… Airport Grasslands!?
🌾 To support our work you can become a member here: mossy.earth
MOSSY EARTH MEMBERSHIP
===============================
The rewilding membership that restores nature across a wide range of ecosystems.
🌲 Support a diversity of ecosystems
🐺 Rewild habitats to bring back biodiversity
🦫 Fund neglected species & ecosystems
Learn more and become a member here: mossy.earth
💪 OUR PARTNERS IN THIS VIDEO
===============================
BROZ: broz.sk/en/
With special thanks to Andrea for extra squirrel footage
Dima: / @bebravetoact
⏱️TIMESTAMPS⏱️
00:00 Intro
01:21 All about European Ground Squirrels
04:45 The project
10:05 Squirrel releases
🔎 ABOUT THIS PROJECT
===============================
The project featured in this video is all about translocating ground squirrels between populations, to help facilitate gene flow and counteract the loss of genetic diversity caused by the fragmentation of their habitat. Our project is informed by the results of a genetic screening study and expert guidance, and is based on the Action Plan for the Conservation of the European Ground Squirrel in the European Union. It builds upon a previous project, where we supported some ground squirrel colonies in Slovakia with supplementary feeding while reducing predation pressure by putting up nesting boxes.
This project is also the first known ground squirrel translocation project of this scale to include baseline data and follow up genetic screening studies. Mossy Earth members have supported the funding of 13,700 Euros each year to cover the staff and travel costs for this project until 2027.
Find out more about this project here: www.mossy.earth/projects/tran...

[@MossyEarth]

🐿️ If you would like to support these strange but impactful projects you can become a member here mossy.earth/ . We keep things simple, trying to solve only a few specific problems at a time and making sure things get done properly. The only way we can do this is because of you. So a huge thank you to everyone who has made this possible! - Cheers, Duarte

[@jesipohl6717]

please do this in berlin we have so much space for it. maybe at old tegel airport even.

[@Hallo85000]

Is there any updates about the Icelandic project?

[@michaelmcdougal8600]

Holyshit regardless of anything else she is one sexy creature and I'm not talking about those squirrels

[@dgalloway107]

So why is the thumbnail showing prairie dogs?

[@dgalloway107]

We have tons of prairie dogs in colorado. Everywhere i look i find them actually.

[@bradmakesgains8779]

The title sounds like a prank video

[@MossyEarth]

😅 I promise you its a rewilding project! Enjoy the video :) - cheers, Duarte

[@SoulViv0r]

Fo real💀

[@rishabhkiradoo5445]

Lol😂

[@AllTheHappySquirrels]

The best kind of prank - for science and conservation! 😍

[@airedale1913]

If that makes some new people watch it and gets them on board, then amazing! 🐿️

[@adamkiraly7866]

I love seeing rewinding projects near urban areas, I think it’s important to reconnect people and nature

[@MossyEarth]

Agreed! We need to find a few urban rewilding opportunities! - Cheers, Duarte

[@joywebster2678]

What is rewinding?

[@shovethatupyaNSmokeit]

​@joywebster2678 it's a film going backwards. However I think they meant to say "rewilding"

[@christianelila3374]

@@joywebster2678 He ment to say rewilding, which means bringing nature back

[@joywebster2678]

@@christianelila3374 shocking

[@hazza.sheesh3953]

Its so amazing that this community has managed to help change the future of so many species

[@MossyEarth]

Exactly! We are always baffled at how people have come together to help us get these projects on their way. - Cheers, Duarte

[@maxwalsh234]

🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

[@megazillasaurus]

I will change the future of tuataras, they will no longer be confined to new zealand, they will be on all continents except antarctica, like their ancestors were during the mesozoic

[@msdadsfsx]

what if squirrel cuts airplane wires?

[@2MinuteHockey]

are you the narrator? Where is that accent from?@@MossyEarth

[@MC-zu5lj]

Hey, it's not entirely extinct in Poland. There were numorous programs reintroducing them to southern part of Poland. We have already about 2000-3000 those squirells and that number is growing :)

[@MossyEarth]

Yes in the video we meant that it went extinct there in the past. There are indeed many projects to bring them back there! - Cheers, Duarte

[@wawrzynieckorzen78]

And one of the places they live is also an airport near Lublin, so at first I thought you made a video about that place.

[@Sksk27547]

I live in America. I see them here now more often. I live in a city.

[@raerohan4241]

​@@Sksk27547 Probably because Americans tend to have large lawns even in huge cities, which is not the case in most of Europe.

[@coltrv]

@@Sksk27547 if you’re in American then you’re seeing a completely different species. This is the Eurasian Ground Squirrel-it’s only found in Europe and Asia.

[@joaquimbarbosa896]

The evolution from your projetcs (including this one helping ground squerrels) is breathtaking. I mean, you started with woden boxes and planting some trees and are now helping large numbers of animals

[@MossyEarth]

Thanks Joaquim! Excited for what you will think of some projects we will be making videos about this fall :D

[@joaquimbarbosa896]

@@MossyEarth Soon I'll become a member to, can't way to see how much new stuff you've came up with by that time

[@hime273]

Actually, it seems as if they Kidnapped over 800 Squirrel's, and transported them to a damn Airport to release them🙄 Go ahead and send them some money, so they can fuck up the lives of more species.

[@lindsayseal8504]

We have a very healthy population of ground squirrels on our property in British Columbia. At 1st I looked on them as a nuisance but have come to appreciate them as they are a main source of food for raptors and badgers. The population varies but when it gets too high the predators bring it back to reasonable levels. The key is finding a balance with nature and not trying to bend it to our will.

[@MrPoornakumar]

@lindsayseal8504 Yes. Operating principle is "the key is finding a balance with nature and not trying to bend it to our Will". Sooner the humans learn it, the better for Earth.

[@rustyiron]

Aircraft don't digest raptors. Badgers dig huge dens and create craters digging out ground squirrels. The dens and craters cause horses and cattle to break legs. Unable to get up they suffer a slow death while getting eaten alive by predators.

[@raerohan4241]

​@@rustyiron 1) there aren't many horses or cattle at airports 2) that is also part of the circle of life.

[@rustyiron]

​@@raerohan4241 Squirrels also live in fields and meadows that is were you would find horses and cattle. Sucking birds, into jet engines tend to make a plane crash.

[@WowCoolHorse]

@@rustyiron Horse and Cattle livestock are invasive species. It makes sense that they suffer when encountering the habitat of a place they are not native to. The solution is not to destroy the native ecosystem, but to alter our use of it, like not fielding cattle or horses nearly as much.

[@caprea9484]

We call them Ziesel, and as a child, I saw one in a book and instantly fell in love. Such sweet little creatures. ♥ But I wasn't aware of how severely they're declining. Thank goodness for organisations like yours! 🥰

[@spulwasser]

Yes, my family and I love the Ziesel😍 they're so cute and comical

[@user-lw1lb4pj6q]

At first "Those looks like Prarie dogs, where's the fluffy tail, must be how squirrels are in europe" Looks up 'are Prarie dogs are squirrels' yes! Lol I learned more than I knew I would. Btw super adorable and love the goal!

[@manutd7194]

One thing is that there are next to no ads on Mossy Earth videos. I wouldn't blame them for putting Ads on videos, the extra income would be appreciated by anyone. All I'm saying is I admire the dedication and keep up th good work.

[@aclassicguardsman946]

More ads on these videos would be good, allow me to feel like I'm contributing even while I cannot donate.

[@manutd7194]

@@aclassicguardsman946 I'm glad they aren't. How does one segue from ground squirrels to Raid |Shadow Legends ads.

[@joaquimbarbosa896]

2:35 It is amazing how large herbivors help the squerrel, the squerrel helps some bees wich help multiple plants. Its all just amazing, specially seeing you work on all parts of this chain

[@MossyEarth]

Exactly! Its always easier to try and influence the ecosystem through keystone species :) - Cheers, Duarte

[@KenS1267]

An ecosystem is all evolved to be reliant upon the other parts. When you restore species to the ecosystem it often dramatically improves the health of the entire system.

[@Sksk27547]

Hopefully no wasps move where the bees are. All wasps do is take and take. Wasps don't do anything beneficial to any other creature. Maybe when they drink water and have some bacteria or fungal spores on them, then they maybe help a little by accident.

[@joaquimbarbosa896]

@@Sksk27547 I'm sure they are important somewhere, but I also jope there are no wasps there

[@raerohan4241]

​@@Sksk27547 Wasps are major pollinators, and they keep populations of many species under control, including tons of pest species. These species have adapted to the pressure from these wasps, so without them, they have the potential to quickly start spreading out of control

[@felixmussik7203]

Thanks for sharing, i had no idea the population had declined that much over just the last 50 years. Definitely never really heard of them in northern Germany, so i just assumed we never had any to begin with.

[@MossyEarth]

Exactly. They’ve been one of those quiet extinctions unfortunately. Time for us to make some noise about it and try to help out! - Cheers, Duarte

[@lindajanes5698]

@felixmussik In the last 50 years, there's been incredible tech changes and growth. But sadly, poor people and wildlife are impacted the most and worst.😢😢😢

[@one_field]

The release montage is absolutely fantastic (and hilariously adorable). Bravo to the editors! Thank you for always explaining the ecological significance of the species you are helping, too. That little bit of education goes a long way toward convincing people when they see what you're doing, compared to just saving a cute little animal that they might otherwise think is a pest.

[@lukalammers4011]

Amazing work! there are too many species that go extinct by the hands of humans, its nice to see that there are people who try to concerve them

[@MossyEarth]

Agreed! Its a pleasure to be able to implement these unique projects with people that care about these more niche creatures. - Cheers, Duarte

[@timozkurt7944]

Great work by everyone involved! Definitely up there with Europe's most charismatic species!

[@veramae4098]

Similar to the American Prairie Dog?

[@monateru1712]

Thank you SO MUCH for having subtitles available on your video right away. You have no idea how rare and amazing that is for KZbin creators to do. It should be standard, but sadly it's not. Some immensely popular creators rarely use subtitles, but claim they are subtitling for inclusivity and when you point out the complete lack of subtitling on 90% of their videos they will send their following after you. Thank you for making your video inclusive from the get go.

[@Sksk27547]

What is "dog-men"? Please don't answer. Just look into what they are.

[@Salix631]

The subtitles were essential from the first moment as the music was way too loud to hear the commentary. Very interesting video and otherwise very well done.

[@conradk]

Similar in behavior and rarity is the North American prairie dog. In some places, there's really nothing better to do other than to go visit a prairie dog colony and laugh at their antics.

[@verdtre4573]

Im a little shocked that such a seemingly easily satisfied species was decimated this much.

[@raerohan4241]

That's the downsides of monoculture crops for you. More eco-friendly agricultural strategies do exist, and many more continue to be developed, but it's an issue of education, implementation, and resistance to change particularly for a profession which isn't highly paid and so there's little wriggle room for risk. Society as whole needs to work together to make sure we can minimise our negative impact as much as possible, while increasing our positive impact at the same time.

[@verdtre4573]

@@raerohan4241 I mean i can see why they wouldnt thrive on a monoculture field. But pastures? We still have those, dont we? Even if theyre frequently mowed for hay instead of grazed on, they shouldnt have a problem with that since theyre living underground. I think the problem might have to do with how fragmented everything is. I cant imagine ground squirrels like to travel very far over open terrain and large connected grasslands dont exist, so theres no way for them to spread out slowly.

[@Doflaminguard]

​@@verdtre4573they are hunted because they consider them pests because of the burrows.

[@MM-jf1me]

​@@verdtre4573In the video they explained that the ground squirrels need short grass so they can scout for danger and communicate easily with each other from a distance when they're aboveground. So unless the hay is being cut when it gets to about 10-15 cm it is probably too tall for them to thrive in a hayfield.

[@M_Fitz]

Do the airports have any issue with the squirrels being introduced on the property? Typically, wildlife is deterred from living on airports, especially a prey species like squirrels. An abundance of squirrels will attract large, predatory birds. These birds are a safety issue for airports as they can cause bird strikes. I'd be interested to see how the airports assess wildlife issues like this.

[@glennk.7348]

Very smart air club! Bring endangered species and protect your airfield from development!! 😀

[@danielmcandrew979]

There’s actually even more similarity with the passenger pigeon. A lot of people don’t know about the many species of bamboo that are native to the eastern half of the USA. There used to be pockets tens or even a few hundred miles of thick “cane-breaks” so called because it grew so close together you couldn’t get through it, it was a break in the path/forest/Savannah. Native Americans had many uses for it, so naturally Europeans tried to eradicate it. The largest expanse of bamboo that is clumped together now is about 200-400 feet. Cane was another name for bamboo at the time and the state of Kentucky gets its name from the bamboo/oak savannah, an ecosystem that no longer exists (tucked away in the cane -> cane tuck-> Kentucky) It’s now understood that the passenger pigeons were ground nesters within the safety of cane breaks. Tucked away in the “cane” as settlers called it they were safe. But between loss of habitat for safe nests and European over hunting they had no chance. So pretty much exactly like the ground squirrel in Europe, extreme habitat loss combined with being seen as a pest

[@franceshorton918]

Thank you so much Daniel for your interesting, well-written and informative post. It's great to learn new things, and I love to learn the origins of place names. What a tragedy for Gaia on Earth, that a massive indigenous ecosystem like the cane plantations was entirely destroyed by ignorance and arrogance. Greetings from Auckland New Zealand 🇳🇿 where much harm was done between 1840's to 1960's. We will never recover the amazing temperate broadleaf forests that covered New Zealand. 😢

[@sokjeong-ho7033]

I'm afraid "Kentucky" actually comes from the Mohawk word 'kenhtà:ke' (or some other closely related language) meaning "prairie".

[@annak804]

Also passenger pigeon would only breed in large flocks in numbers close to 500

[@2adamast]

Kentucky not "meadow land." or "at the head of a river", but it was English all the time "cane tuck"

[@LordWaterBottle]

Congrats to the local flight club who now have a permenant air strip. Very clever of them :)

[@joshbonato9576]

It's honestly is great to see this sort of work happening now around the world, keep up the fantastic work 💪

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you Josh! - Cheers, Duarte

[@MaurieDeaton]

That’s outside the box thinking, good for you! Thanks for making our world a better place!

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you for the support! - Cheers, Duarte

[@lacithebest98]

Saw some of these at the inner lake on the Tihany peninsula. We went to check out some Hungarian Gray Cattle and around them lived these cute creatures.

[@MossyEarth]

Very cool! Its funny to hear their warning chirps and how they run after each other. - Cheers, Duarte

[@trygonberg3821]

Great work! I was so happy to see some in Prague Zoo grazing in the Giraffe enclosure. Probably one of the only person happy to watch tiny local endangered squirrel instead of the mega African fauna of the zoo this day ^^'

[@TheKingGandy]

I love watching your stuff with every project! Wishing you all the best for this and all of the other projects you are doing. It's the kind of thing I can imagine David Attenborough seeing and bringing a smile on his face. Keep up the good work :)

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you for the kind words and for watching all of these videos! - Cheers, Duarte

[@jkennedy299]

I absolutely love your work and your content

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you that means a lot to the whole team! - Cheers, Duarte

[@thjacobi2]

It is very reminiscent of the prairie dog in the American Midwest/West. Due to habitat loss caused by farming, eradication campaigns, and illegal pet trade, there has been a significant decline in their numbers. Thankfully areas that are generally on the fringe of human development have also provided a kind of sanctuary for them. Hopefully this project can expand out to other locations in their historical range and expand native grassland protections!

[@thomvarey]

Could you shed some light on why the industrial area you mentioned is allowed to develop on land that's home to an endangered species? I would expect they have to follow the same guidelines as the airport you are translocating them to. Thanks for everything you do, so excited to have been a member for several months now!

[@BechTheMoose]

This is so cool! Hopefully other airports and similar areas can find inspiration in this project!

[@MossyEarth]

Hopefully! There is plenty of room for wildlife among us. - Cheers, Duarte

[@marykalter13]

They remind me of prairie dogs in the US! Sooo adorable, glad you're doing the work you are for them!!

[@kimc8764]

They are prairie dogs. I was just going to comment the same.

[@v.dargain1678]

Yes ! We have their North American cousins , the Prairie dog and the antelope squirrel in the southwestern states .

[@mzimmerman1988]

An episode about ground squirrels without a single "yahoo" !? missed opportunity :P

[@ethanacton408]

The title sounds so crazy, hopeful it attracts more people to help fund awesome projects like this

[@MossyEarth]

We had to play with the idea a little bit 😅 ultimately we need viewers to get members to fund all of this work :) Also we can spread the word a bit which helps more people think of rewilding in their area. Anyway, thank you for the support! - Cheers, Duarte

[@matthewdavies5875]

I have been looking forward to such a video ever since I learned that Dublin airport thrives with wild hares.

[@Sksk27547]

You damn Irish! Your too full of alcohol to care about anything! Hilarious 😂 I am joking.

[@shadowgolem9158]

I have to imagine this benefits the airports too. Raptors keep flocking birds away from airports (many airports even put up nesting platforms to try to attract them) and would be attracted by a healthy rodent population. I'd bet you could find more airports willing to dedicate space for these animals.

[@skycaptain3344]

Raptors are far more of a threat to aircraft than small birds. I don’t understand why they would do this. I’ve struck many small birds with my plane, no big deal.

[@promontorium]

The San Francisco garter snake is another endangered species, one of its only strong populations is at San Francisco International Airport.

[@PromorteD]

I want to fly to Bratislava to see the squirrels now😂

[@wildcamcraig]

Loved this one, big props to Ervin the Eurasian Lynx

[@MossyEarth]

Hahaha yes! - Cheers, Duarte

[@Legeden]

I've read about the fact that the development has to take the population into account and left with a hope for the right thing would be done at some point. I'm glad I can see these cuties are well protected.

[@whiskeytango9769]

I live in Alberta, we have the Richardon's Ground Squirrel, known locally as "gophers". They are doing well here, in fact, they are practically impossible to wipe out given the amount of land available to them. Here they are considered pests. They look almost exactly like these European squirrels. The fact that we have a lot of land dedicated to pasturing cattle rather than crops helps the squirrels. Eat beef, help the squirrels.

[@andrewlast1535]

I worked at an airport in the Midwest of the United States, where I had pretty much full access to the whole field. I did a lot of exploring during down times. I was amazed by how much nature was flourishing in the margins and on the field, even with heavy traffic, including an Air Force Base and an Air National Guard helicopter squadron. One of the most frequent visitors to the airport were the raptors. Mostly Red Tailed Hawks. The field is perfect for them, good ground visibility and lots of small mammals. I wonder if having the raptors on the field may help mitigate bird strikes? They seemed to keep a lot of other bird species away from the field? Maybe? This is just my personal observation, but I know that some airports employ Falconers to scare birds. Well if one falcon is good, a few dozen wild raptors would be way better.

[@MossyEarth]

I reckon it does attract a fair few raptors which like you mentioned is good for airports. - Cheers, Duarte

[@Sksk27547]

Did you grill any of them? I heard from a guy that they taste quite nice. I tried deer, rabbit, and mountain goat. "Mountain goat" is a wild goat. You said in your comment that you were in military. Were you ever in Afghanistan? I ask that, for culinary reasons. If yes, did you taste that white Afghanistan wild goat type? When those goats eat grass, they pull the grass out. Making the problem of expanding deserts worse. I think that word in science is called, desertification.

[@pamela5568]

No. Raptors are not good for airports. Have you never heard of a bird strike with an aircraft? In Southern California at the Air Force Base I was responsible for we spent a lot of money keeping birds away from our military airfield. We would never have agreed to have someone bring squirrels in to attract any large birds, or birds of any kind. smh

[@andrewlast1535]

@@pamela5568 tell it to the red tailed hawks. They love it. Should I have them check with you before they live there?

[@SC0RCH3er]

@@pamela5568 Birds not, but Birds of Prey/Raptors are because they keep a lot of smaller birds away which means there is a lot smaller chance of a birds strike. Prague airport even pays for "domesticated" falcons (for over 40 years at this point) because it is a lot cheaper and lot more efective than trying to shoot down milions of pidgeons.

[@salamandastron90]

Thanks for all you do! Love from Singapore : )

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you for the support! - Cheers, Duarte

[@sunlight3542]

It’s crazy to see so many great projects like this being all crowdfunded

[@anniehill9909]

Poor wee animals - I did feel sorry for them. I hope that they get over all the trauma and settle down happily - and are accepted by the resident ground squirrels. This is yet another really wonderful project, with lots of bang for the bucks. Well done to all concerned!

[@benzell4]

As colloquially known in North America, ‘Prairie dogs’ (which is a misnomer, they are in the same species family), similar declines have been documented with the same issues you have noted- near elimination of large, wild herbivores ( bison, elk, etc) and encroachment of humans and modern agriculture. Kudos to you and your team!

[@raymondparisza5094]

I grew up in Western Kansas not far from a very large prarie dog town. I dont know if it is still there but it was supposedly protected That was thirty years ago though.

[@jonathangreene4223]

The developers near the airport should have to pay for the relocation.

[@MossyEarth]

Good point actually… but it would probably be just back into the airport instead of new areas. This way we can spread them out a bit and try to establish new colonies as well. - Cheers, Duarte

[@Sksk27547]

Good luck with that one, fat boy 😆

[@louloubell6586]

It's worth approaching the stores to ask. I saw Ikea at the side of the airport. There is the Ikea Foundation to help people, why not animals? They are also into solar panels to run their stores and sustainable materials I believe. It's worth a try

[@DABEATBAKERZ]

No they shouldn’t

[@jessicajaerosenbaum115]

OH, and why is that? You dont think all these extremely greedy people should be responsible for all the animal amd even human habitats that they destroy and overtake all the time without consideration even when its made very clear the damage they are causing and even when they have different options they want the ones that make them the most money. Often stolen lands from people that just cant afford to fight these monsters and we know animals only have us. So why shouldn't they be responsible???? You absolutely do not have an acceptable answer you monster@@DABEATBAKERZ

[@falcolf]

Possibly the cutest rewilding project ❤

[@PatrikInNature]

I love the intro :D Amazing work as always! Bravo Patrik

[@MossyEarth]

Thanks for the support Patrik! - Cheers, Duarte

[@bteblooms]

I really love the creative approach to re-wilding. Great work!

[@Byrd_Gaming]

so thankful for people like you guys! Cheers

[@sushi777300]

Thank you for helping the little guys

[@colejohnson777]

As someone who works in airport Ops please dont put them near the airport fences or close to the runways/taxiways. It will harm aircraft and them if they get ingested. I'm all for relocation and that but please be careful when releasing near an airport. Ive seen alot of accidents with animals on airports and it isnt fun.

[@MossyEarth]

We put them in the smaller airport where they want them there so no worries! At the bigger one they have learnt to deal with them already for a long while. - Cheers, Duarte

[@kujda22]

Video: explains why the animals naturally thrive at airports Random YT commenter: pLeaSe Be CarEfuL ReLeaSing At tHe AirPort

[@germanapplemullentree6152]

The Work mossy earth does with the Help of KZbin should be done by many many more so the youth learns to Help nature and not how to Dance and do stupid Challenges . Love U Guys and Ur Work ❤

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you! That means a lot to the whole team! I also wish people did their tiktok dances while doing some rewilding instead 😂 - Cheers, Duarte

[@MM-mq5uj]

Such an amazing achievement guys! well done to you for the work you put in!

[@nogaglucksam5783]

I'm a member, and I love your videos and everything that you do. Keep up the good work!

[@missthang4982]

Not an easy feat. But bravo none the less. Cute li'l fella's. Great job everyone!

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you! - Cheers, Duarte

[@CleoHarperReturns]

Beautifully done! I wish you could tackle the missing squirrel problem in Florida. Here we have stray cats that decimate entire areas of everything but -- well, them. And the smarter birds. These strays have been wild sometimes for generations; other times, certain areas become dumping grounds for unwanted pets. To make things worse there are several well-meaning but misguided people who leave out food for these cats. I've tried to explain ad nauseam that they're hurting the local wildlife while putting well cared for pets at risk for diseases. These cat saviors seem to place the lives of the cats over the entire ecosystem. Please don't misunderstand me; I don't see killing them as a solution. Sanctuaries and shelters here in Florida are so overcrowded you can't find any to take in a single cat unless it's to destroy it. I just feel there's got to be a third choice. Perhaps we could take back all our invasive squirrels from the UK and pass along the cats to...somewhere that needs cats?😅 I joke, but I wonder if anywhere else is having this out of control cat problem? Before my community became a cat dumping ground we had all kinds of wildlife running around here. It's all gone now, in only a few short years. (Comment Over; PSA for Future Pet Owners Below) Aside from the environmental issue: Please people, think again before getting a pet. If you find you can't take care of it and dump it somewhere, it may survive for a short while (long enough to breed) but their quality of life is horrific. I won't go into detail here what happens to them. You think you're giving them a fighting chance but you're wrong. You can't begin to imagine the damage you do to that animal because you didn't think things through. You may not see the effects firsthand but I do and it breaks my heart, every day. Many people can and will be cruel if given a chance and every time you dump an animal, you're giving them just that -- a chance to be cruel. If you still feel you can handle a pet after all this, please adopt from your local shelter. These animals need you so much. Plan on spending 25% of what you spend on yourself for necessities. This is for a *healthy* pet (mammal, size depending). These are family members after all and the cost of everything keeps skyrocketing. And FFS read a book before you bring your pet home! Watch some animal-specific behavioral and care videos or something. Don't just do nothing.

[@arielpetra]

Spay and neuter your furry friends! It's the single best thing you can do for them imho.

[@freppers2666]

You are very welcome to take the grey squirrels living in my garden in London! We definitely don’t need extra cats though 😂 Don’t your Floridian snakes and alligators take care of the stray cats?!

[@CleoHarperReturns]

@@freppers2666 edit: Sorry for the book. I get chatty after I take my old lady meds.😅 Not in the urban/suburban areas. Stray cats tend to stay around populated areas as they have many humans very well trained (except for the exotic big cats stupid people think they can handle caring for, but that's a whole other topic). Also cats are agile little bastards.😉 You would think being very well fed and free they wouldn't hunt everything in sight...but nope. The little serial killers are never satisfied. Don't get me wrong; it's not a cat's fault for being a cat. It's a human's fault for displacing them. That said, our living dinosaurs have taken plenty of pets. It's usually pets that have wandered off or go into the various ponds, etc of which Fl has everywhere. I'm not blaming the pets' owners because it's impossible to watch your pet outdoors with eagle eyes (unless you're helicopter me) but it's usually something a pet owner only has to learn once. Stray cats however just automatically jump up into the tree canopy, along rooflines, etc. The reason they're invasive is because there's not much that can catch them to kill them. I would gladly take all the gray squirrels -- but not until the cats were removed. We had them just a few years ago. I actually just chased one off my front porch for the umpteenth time today. The beloved Dog of My Life has recently passed and the cats are all trying to rub their scent all over his favorite sunny spot. As neutral as I try to be with cats I feel a war brewing. I will not let them erase my beautiful boy. Not yet anyway.💜

[@saram8102]

I'm continually amazed at the creative solutions your team comes up with and your dedication in carrying them out!

[@adiadi5832]

my father was military pilot in Romanian Air Force....in 80s as a kid ,my father took me to military airport where was loads of this little creatures around the runway

[@yetzt]

please make the voice audio louder than the music.

[@MossyEarth]

Apologies! Something went wrong this time🧐 we will sort it out for the next one! - Cheers, Duarte

[@joaquimbarbosa896]

Man, I was reallly wondering when would you put the next video but here it is Been waiting for it for more then a month now. But the wait sure was worth it

[@MossyEarth]

Sorry for the long wait! We’ve been working on a course and filming a lot. More regular uploads coming later this year! - Cheers, Duarte

[@bok..]

The story of the Passenger Pigeon is crazy. Those birds fueled the growth of the New World colonies as an abundant source of protein. The stories from back then are insane. Its said the nost killed at once was done by troops at Fort York (current day Toronto, Canada). They shot as one of the imfamous flocks went by taking out around a hundred or so birds.

[@PaulCoxC]

Really interesting project. Love the intro and outtro 😅

[@MossyEarth]

That was all Adriana and Dima! 😂 - Cheers, Duarte

[@insAneTunA]

Another great project with a great team of people 👍

[@katarina5651]

Thank you for really making a change. Also they are so cute

[@cookingforme4711]

Working smarter, great idea and the fact you're pulling these little critters from 5 different colonies is brilliant for breeding purposes. I hope this project is successful. There's plenty of room on this earth for all of us and we can all thrive using common sense practices. Using specific utilized spaces with open areas is sensible, practical and a win win.

[@superdupergrover9857]

1. As an American, I have to constantly remind myself that these aren't prairie dogs. 2. Trying not to to get over excited about the HUGE fairy circles in the airport fields.

[@teklife]

they're probably so close to prairie dogs that they could most likely interbreed

[@Sksk27547]

"Prarie dog" was also shot by settlers going west from the east half of country in years of 1800. Shot for food, and unfortunately for fun. They almost got wiped out completely. I live in America.

[@teklife]

prairie dogs in north america were exterminated by the millions, and shot just for fun. ranchers also believe they would be responsible for breaking the legs of their cattle, when in fact, grazing animals co-evolved on the prairies with these animals for millions of years, and they keep the grasses more nutritious for the grazers.@@Sksk27547

[@TheProsvetitelq]

You guys are amazing! ❤

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you! We appreciate all the support from everyone here :) - Cheers, Duarte

[@Gibbonologist]

I love this project because it shows that rewinding can happen anywhere, even at an airport! Thank you so much for these videos!

[@tiredofupdates]

some countries have laws that they are not allowed to build over habitats where endangered species are known to inhabit. it sounds like this one needs such a law.

[@2adamast]

It's an artificial habitat and they were implanted

[@rokurussell9862]

Very happy to be a member!

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you for the support! It is truly the only thing that makes these projects happen :) - Cheers, Duarte

[@SoulViv0r]

Love these squirrels so glad y’all are saving them

[@MossyEarth]

They are super cool! We are glad to be able to help them together with Broz! - Cheers, Duarte

[@TheGrace020]

Amazing as usual love seeing these little ones finding a new calm place with help ❤:D

[@308fullbore]

Great job. The squirrels will attract birds of prey, thus keeping pigeons etc away. This may improve air safety by reducing the presence flocks of small birds. Less bird strikes. As a pilot, I wish that these initiatives would be more common place.

[@newyorkker]

Good work guys

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you! - Cheers, Duarte

[@simonbarrow479]

Great work. Hopefully more airports across Europe will benefit from ground squirrels.

[@charlottereed7603]

This was a fantastique way to start my day! Looking forward for futur updates on this project!

[@Mani32100]

Thank you for all your work. I really enjoy watching and learning something new each time. A big hello from Germany

[@grexursorum6006]

nice to see my money well spend. Love you folks and the work you are doing. 💚💚💚

[@MossyEarth]

Glad you enjoyed the project and thank you for supporting this work! - Cheers, Duarte

[@MossyEarth]

It is truly what makes it all possible!

[@Chr.U.Cas2216]

👍👌👏 Oh WOW, simply fantastic! 2) They're sooo cute! Although I absolutely love squirrels I unfortunately have never heard of this species before. Thanks a lot for making teaching explaining recording editing uploading and sharing. Best regards luck and especially health to all involved life forms (humans, animals and plants).

[@MossyEarth]

Glad you enjoyed learning about a new species! - Cheers, Duarte

[@stg2603]

Those Ziesel, as we call them in Austria, are thriving very, VERY intensive at Palace Hof (which by the way, a very nice location, right after Palace Schönbrunn)

[@deborahgoslin5858]

Thank you good people for all you do !

[@Nuraziel]

I was first concerned, that the squirrels might attract flying predators, that then get hit by the planes. But you rehomed them from a busy airport to a small one, so I count that as a win 😊

[@skycaptain3344]

Even at the smaller airport I used to work at, we still removed all these. I don’t know why they would do this. Love this channel, but this is not wise.

[@Kenionatus]

​@@skycaptain3344Hm, considering they're a species that hides in holes at the sight of danger they might be quite safe from planes. Did you have frequent cases of killed squirrels that caused the decision to remove them?

[@kujda22]

@@skycaptain3344 they literally explain why they thrive at airports and that the one where they were rehomed is a protected habitat. Watch the video before commenting. Also, I’m pretty sure removing an endangered species from its habitat is illegal so what you’ve been doing might have been wrong.

[@PCJ52]

Well, at least a "win" for the busy airport? The same flying predators may now arrive at the smaller airport.

[@PCJ52]

@@Kenionatus The concern is that flying predators would be attracted to the squirrels. The flying predators are the concern.

[@fusseluflecki]

Amazing work

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you Fussel! - Cheers, Duarte

[@Navigator2166]

That was completely fascinating! Thank you.

[@Ghost-Mama]

Cheer’s Duarte!! I’m so impressed with the project, the editing, the music, and YOU narrating the video!! I was concerned that you wouldn’t be in the new videos and it’s YOUR charisma that brings such Joy and light and life to each project! Thank you 🙏🏻 for sharing this 🐿 video with the world 🌎. You have a particular knack for holding the interest of the viewer’s and educating us at the same time and that education is what teaches us and reaches us! Cheer’s! Sarah

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you for the lovely comment as usual! It always makes the team happy to see such positive reactions to our work :) - Cheers, Duarte

[@Ghost-Mama]

@@MossyEarth you’re welcome ☺️

[@andyroubik5760]

Good job you guys! Thank you. Here in North America the ground squirrels are the second most important class of animals to Wildlife! Not only do they provide meat to a large variety of animals and provide nesting sites for endangered pollinators and a variety of other animals but, they raise the water table! During dry spells or during the winter when the ground is Frozen their Burrows act as conduits for occasional surface water to go directly down toward the water table raising it. This higher water table increases the size of riparian areas and even creates new Springs! Riparian areas are the most productive areas for North American wildlife. In parts of the state of Nevada the land managers had eradicated the ground squirrels at the behest of the ranchers who saw them as competition for grass. After their eradication the water table dropped the grass and trees died, the carrying capacity of the land had dropped precipitously for all species. Because these amazing little animals keep safe by communicating through songs , they are very difficult to reintroduce because they are scared and do not sing and are subsequently picked off by predators. Maintaining and expanding existing colonies is the most important aspect of their conservation! Our Infamous previous president send one of his sons out here to Montana to be a great white hunter in shoot these important animals

[@mikeycbaby]

They’re like European prairie dogs.

[@makingfreely6336]

Can't wait until you all come to the US.

[@MossyEarth]

We’ve had a US project before but it was small. Hopefully a proper one next year! - Cheers, Duarte

[@studiosandi]

Thank you so much for helping these squirrels survive and thrive❤❤❤

[@cosmasgeaney2463]

Amazing job well done to all Thank you for helping these beautiful animals

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you for the support! - Cheers, Duarte

[@Guildonx]

hii can i ask a question? Which college did you go to to have this profession (work)? I am fascinated by your videos and I would like to research more about your work (sry about my English, i'm not a native speaker)

[@MossyEarth]

Our biologists studied mostly ecology or biology at university at a variety of European universities. The rest of the team has a mix of backgrounds. I’d suggest studying ecology or biology to work in nature restoration. Pro tip: I heard the world needs more botanists! - Cheers, Duarte

[@jacobsukovaty520]

Hello could come to the us and help out the redwood forests of california it would make me so happy if i saw you guys help out these massive prehistoric trees please and also don't take this as me demanding you guys to do this i would just love to see these massive forests come back❤

[@jacobsukovaty520]

@@ConontheBinarian I know I was asking if maybe they could partner with them help them out

[@a.l.a.7847]

🐾😍 What a fantastic project -- and the shots of the little squirrels going into their bolt holes were so cute!

[@v.dargain1678]

So true . Kudos to all the participants .

[@Dunkskins]

Instant sub, can't believe you don't have more subs and i'll definitely be contributing to you once I get my first pay cheque, I've just moved from New Zealand to Scotland. What an amazing cause, thats transparent and awesome.

[@Garrettito6671]

They look like miniature versions of the prairie dogs I’ve seen in the American short and midgrass prairies. They’re very cute and I’m happy to see y’all are trying to save them

[@joaquimbarbosa896]

Ervin really became a predator for a momment

[@MossyEarth]

Haha yes!

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... moment*

[@markmurray5332]

I just watched your squirrel vid. What an amazing group of people looking out for a specious that can’t survive on its own. Looking forward to watching more of your work 😊

[@dharmesh3660]

So cute and a wonderfully different project. Love it!!

[@ManoloElCerdo]

I used to live next to an airport, when moving from there the silence was horrible to my ears, I wonder if the squirrels will feel the same way