Respectful boundaries with our wildlife

Our campus is surrounded by nature, which means amazing walks and safe spaces to relax and step out from our busy lives. But it also means we need to expect some wanted and unwanted friends and neighbours, ranging from cute and fluffy to... less cute and fluffy.

None of us can go a day on campus without being graced by the presence of our university mascots, who come waddling across the lake scavenging for food. While they may stare you down while you're eating a sandwich, the ducks on campus already have someone who comes by daily to feed them appropriate nutritious bird feed.

Other food, such as bread, is not healthy for our feathered friends, and sharing our lunches with them often means they are too full to eat their actual meals. This leaves their food available for our lovely, but not exactly wanted neighbours, the squirrels.

The grey squirrels we see most frequently around campus are a largely overpopulated, invasive species of squirrel; controlling their population is vital to maintaining biodiversity and protecting the red squirrel population. Red squirrels are native to the UK and are currently under the protection of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

So, no matter how many stare-downs, or cute bushy tails try to entice you, please don’t feed the ducks and squirrels!