"Why Don't You Run Fund Raisers?"

It is hard to explain to people that when it comes to wildlife the top priority is not "How much money can I get from this?"

 Wildlife work is not about making money. 

If there is a sick or injured badger then Sarah Mills (The Bristol Fox Lady/Bristol Wildlife Rescue)  is on hand and so long as she can keep donations coming in for the fuel costs etc. that is sorted. The mileage she covers in a couple of months  is staggering and in a year beyond staggering.   Once she has re-assessed needs then people can be updated for donations.

I have 8 trail cams if I ever need to keep a sett under survey or gather evidence of badger activity to protect the site in question from developers.  Travelling back and forth to a site is not going to be excessive in cost as opposed to rescue expenses.

I keep the Fox and Badger Death Register which just requires people to actually report deaths. 

It would be nice to raise money for wildlife crossing signs BUT the City Council and Highways have to approve these so I am still working on that side of things -if someone wants to pay me by the email or phone callit would be a pretty amount!

IF they give the go ahead for sign placement then funding would be needed for the signs as that is beyond the loose change in my pocket!

"Why not set up an online funds raiser?"  I have tried in the past to raise funds for research work BUT the fact that after 10 years of reminding people the PayPal donation button was therew...£00.00.    People like to know what the money they are throwing out at you is for and there is nothing you can hold up and say "This is what your money helped with."  

I am an old dinosaur of a naturalist and we never asked people for money in the past and the idea that people would contribute to DNA testing to look at the historical side of badgers and foxes is a tad silly as that woiuld require a lt of money that could go into rescue and health monitoring/treatment.

For road signs I may try an appeal next year but as I noted that needs official approval.

The Museum has no pre 1860s Badger Txidermy But It Has Found Out HOW the Badger Survived

 

One thing that was discovered was the reason why badgers in England survived  the centuries of melecide when felicide, vulpicide and wiping out of many other animals took place is surprising. It may form part of a paper I am working on.

I get people telling me that taxidermy is "sick" or "upsetting" as well as a few other complaints.

How do we know what the Dodo looks like? Or for that matter any anbimal, bird or aquatic species humans made extinct pre wide spread use of photography?  Illustrations -some not very good. It is very sad and I reserve comments about huntsmen here but taxidermy has made it very clear that modern wildlife books, TV and zoologists have just accepted dogma and have spent the period from 1900 lying to everyone.

What have we learnt/proven via taxidermy?

1.  That the red fox we see today is not the fox that has "always been here" but are descendents of European foxes imported by hunts for 'sport' (Brits exported red foxes to the United States and Australia for the same purpose).  

2.  There were three distinct types of fox in the UK and Ireland after the flooding of the area known as Doggerbank (the French or English Channel). The largest was bigger than an American coyote (taxidermies of both are kept at the Museum) and called the Greyhound or Mountrain fox and it was basically the British jackal/coyote.  The second was known as the Hill or Mastiff fox; not as big as the Greyhound fox but robust and sturdy in build. The third type was smaller and known as the Cur or Common fox and was living near to human habitation as the fox of today does. We call these Old Fox types.

3. We know that the wild cat people talk about preserving so much these days is a European hybrid and does not look anything like the Old wild cat of England, Scotland and Wales -Ireland also, despite all the arguments, had its own wild cat. We have examples of the later Scottish wild cat.

4.   We also know from taxidermy examples (see The Red Paper Canids for photographic examples) that coyote, jackals and wol;ves were kept and released by hunts. 

That is just four points but then you add over 50 of archival research and evidence gathering it proves everything noted above. Jackal and wolf hunts were well publicised events as foxes were hunted to extinction, reintroduced from Europe then hunted to the point of extinction again.

The research has shown that there was a major extinction even in British wildlife c the 1860s. It was at this point in time that Scottish zoologists and naturalists decided that the true Scottish wild cat went extinct. At the same time the Old fox types became extinct and thousands of foxes were imported each year to keep the 'sport' going. Hares, red squirrels, some deer species, birds and other animals became extinct or on the verge of extinction and the well publicised importantions from Europe began -although this seems to have started c 16th century/

All provable and documented in journals, books and papers from the time.

DNA testing of wildlife today resulting in European species DNA is pointless. Species examples in taxidermy pre 1860 are required and should show the difference in species; 8-10,000 years of separation from Continental Europe made the wildlife in Britain and Ireland unique island species and after the formation of Ireland from Britain that again produced unique island species.

We learn a lot from taxidermy and this is added to by the archival work so that we have a true picture of Britain and Ireland and not the dogma of today.

We are currently loising more and more species and all due to humans, as in the past, which makes you wonder what dogma will be brought in to shift the blame in 100 years when hedgehogs, foxes, badgers and other species are gone?

Taxidermy is important evidence and evidence that zoologists choose to ignore because it is factual and threatens their credibility.

Watch Badgers Now -in the 2030s They Will Be Near Extinct

I believe that we are currently looking at badgers in the British countryside becoming a rarity. Excluding the approximate 300,000 killed during the unscientific cull (and there is the threat of that starting up again at some point) and Wales not thinking of culling its badger population because they do not want to be "left out of the fun".  Bad animal husbandry is the main cause of bovine TB and we know (they were caught) of farmers selling bTB cattle they knew was infected.

Same with BSE infected cattle.

A Leicestershire farmer has been ordered to pay nearly £11,000 after repeatedly breaching the rules designed to protect animals from tuberculosis (TB).

 https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/farmer-repeatedly-breached-tb-rules-10803403

British investigators have confirmed that they are examining more than 50 cases where farmers and cattle dealers have allegedly used bogus identity documents to conceal cows' ages in order to sell them for human consumption. Last week the agriculture ministry admitted that 90,000 cattle have gone missing from its surveillance scheme. About 1,600 cows a year are still being diagnosed with BSE.

https://www.iatp.org/news/ten-new-cjd-cases-raise-fears-of-cattle-cull-fraud

Politicians in the Welsh Parliament are not interested in the countryside or wildlife and are following the example of the Labour Party in seeking farmers votes and donations and who cares about a few badgers? The shooters earn a fairly good amount killing badgers -both cubs and adults. So farmers get what they want (a cover up of bad farming practice), the politicians get what they want (farmers votes and donations) and the psychopaths get what they want: money to kill something.

Every night across the UK men and women don the cammo gear and go out with their rifles to just kill for fun. It is NOT a 'sport' but a pastime for someone who is mentally unwell. On some of their forums they even joke about shooting disguised foxes -disguised as ginger or tabby cats with collars. It has been going on a long time and it has made sure that the fox has declined by at least 60% in the UK. 

I think that the idea or "topped a badger last night -helped the local farmer out" followed by congratulations and "keep it low key though like the rest of us" says a lot.  There is still badger baiting going on with gangs having finished off badgers in Wales (as they have the fox) now crossing into England for their 'fun'.  There are still local "badger men" who are paid by farmers to kill off badgewrs "on the quiet".

When you see shooters say their group has "blue insurance coverage" it means that one of their group is a serving police officer.

'Sport' shooting should be banned and anyone requesting a fire arms licence should undergo psychological testing. Wanting to kill something for 'fun' is not normal. 

The official attitude to all of this appears to be "who cares?" -we have a government that has passed legislation to destroy green spaces and wildlife habitat including setts for money from developers.  Bristol City Council and Long Ashton Parish Council have both ignored the presenceof otters, badgers, foxes, badgers and nesting bird sites to get the developers money. 

At the moment we have an ever decreasing urban fox population (Bristol has lost over 230 foxes so far in 2026) and an urban badger population (over 80 deaths in 2026). How are they dying? Road vehicles and out of control speeding on city streets is the 95% killer. We have had snaring of at least two foxes and one otter plus several fox deaths by deliberate dog attacks.

While people sit back watching their TVs and guzzling pizza the elected local authority bodies as well as the government are ploughing up and putting buildings and "mini towns" on green site while there are masses of brown (old industrial) sites where building can take place but, of course, building on pretty looking land (which is not after you build over it) looks good when you are selling a scheme or property. 

I never thought, after all the work put into conservation from the 1970s on that in 2026 we would be in a worse state than in the 1950s when it comes to wildlife and the environment. 

As I found out at the recent Wild Summit the main reaction is "Oh, that is so sad. Nothing we can do,"

Conservationists we lost. You cannot sugar coat it the greed anbd money grubbing as well as morons with guns and cars have won out.

Badgers, foxes and hedgehogs as well as other spoecies are going to be victims in the latest extinction event (the last great one in the UK was the 1860s).

No. 86

 Known badger death number 86: Young sow (deceased) A38 off the road

Badger Death Updates

 

083 Saturday 29 08 2026 Dead badger at side of road by cemetery entrance lodgeCanford Lane.

084 Saturday 05 09 2026 “Hi Terry, sadly there’s a deceased badger on the side of the road in the above location. It’s a little dicey to retrieve as there’s no pavement on that side of the road. Would it be possible to let me know what to do? I feel so sorry for it’s little body just lying on the side of a busy road”

085 Saturday 12 09 2026 'Im just running alongBadminton Roadand the junction withAintree Drive. And there is a dead badger by the kerb.

Legal Action Will Be Taken

 Since the "Wild Summit" on Wednesday I have been hearing back from people.  Some referred to a conversation they had with the Bristol Badger Group man. It was NOT me.

I am making it publicly clear and giving noexcuse for anyone. Whether Badger Trust or a representaive of theirs: if they identify themselves as BBG or set up a group by the name Bristol Badgert Group it has been agreed with my solicitor that Trust as well as their rep will be sued.

Bristol Badger group has existed and carried out a great deal of work since 1994 with the Badger trust failing to help at every request for assistance but simply copyibng and pasting something.  

The Badger Trust has behaved badly despite BBG offering to help them when we can. 

A Wild Summit To Achieve....?

 

I need to apologise to Bristol Fox Lady/Bristol Wildlife Rescue Sarah Millsfor dragging her to the so called Wild Summit. I printed out a small fortune (in ink) flyers and info packs to hand out.

Avon Wildlife Trust ("We work through Bristol City Council") were not interested in the fox and badger data. In fact, no one was interested in mammals whether otters, badgers, foxes (plenty of fox photos used though) or even hedgehogs. Bees, butterflies, wild flowers, water purity and conservation nd that was it.

Fella from the Badger Trust talking about setting up a Bristol Badger Group (8 times right next to me) so I jumped in every time and pointed out that I have run BBG since 1994/1995 but he kept it up and told me to my face he had heard of my fox work but not badger work. How good is the Badger Trust when they have had emails etc off me for 30 years and been told repeatedly over the last year there was a BBG? Kept trying to talk over me every time I was amking points based on years of research and work. Nope. Well not be cooperating wityh him or BT.

So making the countryside wild friendly but no one interested in wildlife crossings/tunnels.

Basically it was badly organised and had I paid £240 for a ticket there would have been trouble.

Oh West England .Wildlife Index was not that good. Their data was a mess they noted bird decline (mentioned 8 times as frightening) no idea about mammal decline or fish decline and then they told us how their data was basically not worth much as it needed another 5 years. I think Sarah probably heard my loud grunt as the woman in charge stated "We get data from naturalists but take it with a grain of salt" Talk about insulting the dying breed of people who go out getting the real data and muddied boots. I stopped myself from standing and walking out. I did feel sorry for one of the volunteers who stepped up to exp-lain the work she had been doing but got four heckles of "stand closer to the microphone" and she was nervous enough.

The RSPCA Senior scientific advisor stodd up and I just waited for her to say the great job the RSPCA does for wildlife but in the few minutes she spoke all I learnt was her field of work was tigers. Yes, foxes and badgers and British wildlife are silly so concentrate on ovrseas wildlife (which I am told the RSPCA is doing?!)

The ex copper who said we need better organisation, etc and some forces had no wildlife crime officer well...back into the early 2000s there were plenty of good PWLOs and senior officers were involved. Now we have a situations wth four wildlife crimes in the Bristol area (including a snared otter) and a fox torn up by a dog under the command of its owner and....nothing. We had three foxes found in one day on an allotment and the Wildlife officer visited the site and made notes and was offered the foxes to take (THAT should be standard) but he would not even go and look at the foxes and his notes ("intelligence") was it. THREE suspicious death foxes and the copper would not even look at them. Interestingly a PCSO did a better job and bagged up two foxes and a cat in a suspicious death case and submitted them for post mortems. Obviously the part time policeman had a better grasp of the job than the full time professional.

At times with 'quizzes", stickers, big sheets of paper and colour pens I felt I was back at Glenfrome Road nursery school.

Radio talks the event up well but there was NOTHING to the event just "We need to jolly well show the government by sending in a petition".

I do not likke rudeness or bad manners but that was also very evident at the event.

Basically an online petition appears to have been what was needed for most talks. That a great deal of the information was old -I have sources saying the same f thing from the 1980s and that was built on from 1970s work,

Field or any type of naturalist did not seem to be present. After a remark that anything from a naturalist was taken "with a pinch of salt" that was lucky.

I left thinking that I had lost two hours or so of my rapidly decling life anjd that working by myself seems the best way to go.

I was lucky that Sarah Mills was present as even she commented "Nothing on mammals? Not even hedgehogs!"

Maybe I should have had a table there to push mammals?