Hallorav, Sciurus carolinensis

Halloravad on Londoni parkides sama populaarsed "vaatamisväärsused", kui nende parkide läheduses asuvad Buckinghami palee või Westminster. Looduslikust vaatevinklist on need armsad ja julged tegelased aga tõelised kurjamid, sest nad on inimeste poolt sinna 150 aastat tagasi asustatud (kodupaik on halloravatel Põhja-Ameerika läänerannik) ning kohaliku punaorava täielikult välja söönud. See invasioon on tänaseks katmas peaaegu kogu Suurbritanniat, sest hallorav on suurem, suudab toota rohkem järglasi, suudab koguda rohkem rasva (tuleb talvel abiks) ning kannab üht teatavat viirust, mille vastu punaoraval immuunsus puudub. Foto sai tehtud Londoni Kuninglikus Kew Gardensi botaanikaaias.

Grey squirrels are just as popular ‘attractions’ in London’s parks as nearby landmarks like Buckingham Palace or Westminster. From a nature perspective, though, these cute and bold characters are actually real troublemakers. They were introduced by humans about 150 years ago (their native home is the west coast of North America) and have completely driven out the native red squirrel. Today, this invasion has spread across almost all of Great Britain, as grey squirrels are larger, produce more offspring, can store more fat (helping them survive the winter), and carry a virus to which red squirrels have no immunity. This photo was taken in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London.