Bratislava airport traps ground squirrels

Conservationists have set 130 traps at Bratislava's M.R. Štefánik Airport (BTS) in an effort to capture European ground squirrels as part of wildlife hazard management measures, TASR learnt from the airport on Tuesday. The measure, which is implemented annually, is intended to lessen the risk of bird strikes, as the ground squirrels are part of the diet of birds of prey that loiter in the area. "The presence of the rodents is a lure to birds of prey that fly around the runways, where the risk of bird strikes looms, which may have negative consequences", announced the airport in a press release. One of the conservationists carrying out the capturing, Ervin Hapl, said that 59 ground squirrels, both young and adult, are intended to be relocated to the zoo in Poznan, Poland, with another 65 prospectively headed for the zoo in Brno, Czech Republic. The capturing, which is taking place between Monday and Thursday, can take place only in the mating period in spring, or alternatively in summer, when the young animals aren't dependent on their mothers. Apples serve as bait to lure the animals.