Sir,

What a very pessimistic letter you published last week from Nutkin, aka ex Mayor and Clr. Hallet. Obviously Caldey has not got enough natural resources to support a colony of red squirrels.

However, I should like to remind Trevor that there is a place in Wiltshire which he can visit where there is the odd pride of lions. Although these wild animals are not, I think, native to the region and are deprived of their natural food - wildebeest, zebra and villagers - they seem to be quite happy to accept the daily delivery of meat.

Adjacent to them is another place where, if he is prepared to risk having his windscreen wipers torn off, he can drive through and have monkeys scampering over his car. I am quite sure that the trees surrounding this area do not produce enough food to support these animals.

Similarly there is a place near to Tenby where some rhinoceros exist, albeit with human tlc.

All that is necessary on Caldey, I believe, is to start with a large temporary enclosure with permanent feeding stations and possibly drays. Situated in an area to which the public have access, squirrels easily learn to open bird proof lidded feeders containing hazelnuts and other food that they like and during the summer there would be no shortage of volunteers to restock the feeders.

I am quite sure that within the island community there are people altruistic enough to want to support our endangered species, particularly if by doing so they would clearly increase the number of visitors to Caldey.

Alun Morgan,

Nyth Aderyn,

North Cliffe,

Tenby.