Working With Avon Wildlife Trust?

 AWT I am indifferent to. They had Ashton Vale designated a Wildlife Deprivation Zone when I moved here in 1994. In my first night I observed low flying barn owls, hedgehogs, two foxes walking up the road, bats etc. Next day I saw a woodpecker, collared doves, wood pigeons, finches, great and Blue Tits and more.

After a month of wildlife surveying I sent a report to AWT who told me that I needed to join before any of my data could be looked at.

After B&M opened in Winterstoke Road I was accosted by a young fella looking to get people to join AWT and he very knowledgably informed me "Did you know this was a wildlife deprivation zone?" I looked out of the doorway and said to him

"What do you see outside?" Puzzled he shrugged. I pointed to the lamp post fitted rat traps , I pointed to the two wood pigeons, a large number of crows, three types of sea gull I then offered to show him the hedgehog droppings I had passed on the grass outside the strore.

He turned and asked the next person through the doors whether they had considered joining AWT to "help bring wildlife to the area".

I have never had any response to copies of the badger and fox deaths registers I sent nor the fox death study results.

When I asked AWT for some kind of support in asking Bristol City Council to look into ways to cut down wildlife deaths I was told they couldn't do that. Asking whether they could pass on any fox or badger death reports they received (three times) -nope.

I started the Fox Study Project in 1976 and AWT has never shown any interest-my work is better known internationally than in my own City. My badger work is also know outside the UK as is my work on wild cats and feral cats. None of which has ever interested AWT and certainly never BRERC,

We need people out there working to protect and study wildlife and the environment and far less time fund raising. I may come across as a miserable sod but when we live in one of the worst countries for wildlife I think I am allowed to be.

On The UK Badger Cull, Rescuing Cubs and Social Media Promoting Wildlife Abuse

 Here is how ridiculous UK law is regarding badger and badger sett protection. 

Excluding the deaths due to cars and illegal farmer practices, the UK has legally killed over 300,000 badgers based on very bad science relating to badgers and bovine TB -for which the badger is recognised as a scape goat species; hiding bad animal husbandry practices. If -if- we are lucky it will take decades for badgers to recover in numbers if they escape extinction.

If we find a dead lactating sow near to a badger sett and it is clear that there are young cubs in the sett that are going to starve and die... we have to let them. DEFRA made this very clear to me in 2024 when it told me that to rescue cubs, whose mother was dead, from a sett would legally be seen as "tampering with a protected sett" and a prosecution would ensue. "If you can place food nearby and entice them out then you can rescue them" I was told.

Meanwhile, on a Face Book UK badger group one moron is seen sitting on and next to a sett enticing badgers with food and... DEFRA does nothing. Incidentally, I face some very nasty abuse from the group owner/moderator and members for pointing out the activity was illegal (I was banned from the group).

This is the story from 2024:

The Story of Badger Watch UK: Can We Win When 'Wildlife' Groups Encourage Animal Endangerment? UPDATE

Whoops! I got banned again.

Well, I got suspended from a fox group on which I was the top contributor and only found

out when I tried to answer someone's fox health problem.

There were photographs in the group and videos of people calling foxes into houses and one

man who was a 'hero" getting a fox to come to him and put its paws on his knees. I pointed

out that this was something dangerous for the fox and then came all the angry comments.

I politely explained the problems it could cause and ended by saying if people actually loved

foxes they needed to treat them as wild animals not pets. However, the group Everything Fox

is a one that promotes what is essentially wildlife abuse in amongst its constant jabbering to

"FEED THEM!" (apparently fox cubs playing and making vocalisations is them "begging for

food").

The last group I was suspended then banned from was Badger Watch UK where I commented

on a man who films/photographs badgers while sitting on top of their sett feeding them and

allowing 6-7 at a time to scramble over him. The group admins responded by sending childish

Gifs and memes then blocked me.

This is wildlife abuse and its just a shame that people on the groups do not speak up when

they see what is happening but stay silent otherwise they don't get to see the pretty fox/badger

photos. When I see obese foxes I know that there is a generation losing its disease immunity

and passing on that lack of immunity to its young.

---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------

Boris the Badger and Friends is a Face Book page that promotes the habituation and hand 

feeding of badgers in close proximity to the actual badger sett. On the 2nd April 2024 the man 

posted a video of him sitting amongst a group of 6-7 badgers and hand feeding.

I had previously (twice) been very polite and asked him to stop as he was habituating badgers 

to humans and the hand feeding is something that really ought to be made illegal.

Sitting near a sett and hand feeding badgers -"only one ever comes close" (c)2024 Boris the 

Badger

His constant response is that the "badger" only came out shyly to him. This was a lie because 

all of the badgers in the video he talks about how several were climbing over him. Previous 

videos showed the same thing.  I decided that a much firmer approach to the problem was 

needed and pointed out that his activities were putting the badgers safety at risk. I also pointed 

out that using his ISP it was possible to track down his street and from there work out where 

badgers might be.  I pointed out that, legally, he was interfering with a badger sett and that 

could involve his being prosecuted. I ended by asking him to PLEASE stop what he was

 doing.

Then I received this notification along with its rather immature added note. 

 I sent a copy of this notification to all three admins but one blocks any messages so great

admin there! There seemed to be no sense in this since I was listed as a "top contributor" on

Badger Watch UK -in fact I was the only person actively helping people with badger issues.

I assumed there must be an error somewhere.Here is what I sent the only two admins who were contactable:

"I am writing to you as an Admin on Badger Watch UK. It seems that I am accused of "threatening a member" I will make it clear that I did not threaten to do anything other than to report the danger he was putting wildlife -badgers- in and breaking the law at the same time. We need to protect badgers and stop them from being habituated to humans. Sitting on the ground near a badger sett and feeding the badgers in the way he has videoed is also ethically wrong. I deal with badgers killed because they do not see humans as a threat and the member in question may well be a "star" but he is not helping badgers and I am shocked that admins feel pointing this out is threatening. Humans, whoever they are, cannot be encouraged to do this when we urge people to report people around protected badger setts. "

Krister Ardem and admin: "Telling someone you've traced their address via their ISP is definitely threatening"

So I replied and suspect I am going to be kicked off because the attitude was very odd:

"No it was pointing out that it is not hard to use that to track what street he is on and use that to pinpoint where likely locations of badgers are. That is alerting him to how easy the wrong people can find badgers if they want to. I DID NOT state I had tracked his address just that the ISP leads to info that shows his street. That is not a legal definition of a threat but safety warning. The issue here is that this is irresponsible behaviour not good for the badgers. Surely that can be seen? I have alerted Face Book and sent copies of my posts and the video clip I saved and explained that I have been banned for 24 hours because I take an accusation of threatening someone seriously as does FB who pick up these things. If you would sooner have anti wildlife behaviour videos to trying to explain to people how to keep badgers safe then the fight to save badgers is lost."

Krister Ardem "You said you'd traced his street in less than 30 minutes. He's been working with badgers for more than 40 years so why be so attacking and not discuss amicably? Now you're trying to threaten BWUK admins for muting you as a punishment, saying you've disagreed with what is clearly intimidating behaviour. I'm sure Facebook will have a good laugh at your complaint. Before throwing it right into the bin where it belongs."

It was as though I had somehow upset people who are supposed to care for badgers by pointing out that someone was doing something that could harm badgers. I was still trying to help smooth things over though:

"If you go back I have been very polite to him and explained why he should not be doing this. I have tried privately as well and I have worked in wildlife since 1977 so well before his work -whatever that is as I can find no name or published papers. the whole reason I stopped checking on badger setts is because someone tracked me down in a similar way.

"I have actually had a response from FB (note: I received a notification from them about my ban which was why I contacted them) and they were not laughing and I have no idea why you are saying I am threatening BWUK admins?? I get a feeling you just want me to leave the group because this is getting ridiculous with the word threat being thrown everywhere. If ALL the admins agree that a field naturalist with decades of experience is not wanted but social media likes are then ALL admins should agreed to remove me."

In all honesty it was quite simple. I had spoken out against one of their "stars" who got lots of "Likes" for his videos and that, to the admins, was unacceptable and whatever I wrote I was "threatening" anyone and everyone. What I was not expecting was the very immature response to my last message:

So I responded: "That is very immature as a response and you seem to be baiting me for some reason but I stand by what I wrote and the fact that we have to protect badgers"

Sadly, Ardem really was as immature as his responses suggested as he sent this meme next:

I was still trying to be polite but Ardem then blocked me. As did the only other admin on FB.  Basically, they knew they were in t5he wrong and supporting an habituator for social media likes and had no way of responding so were turning every and any word into a "threat"   In fact, it seems that Ardem was not aware of the social media "You Lose the argument" rule. That last meme was it!   

So I waited to see what happened but I had been immediately removed from the group. Boris the Badger and Friends blocked me on all social media -as well as someone else who tried to explain why he should not feed the badgers the way he was.

"only one badger comes near me"  (c)2024 Boris the Badger

And to emphasise the point: 

"only one badger comes near me"  (c)2024 Boris the Badger

 This is wrong on so many counts but as with many social media groups  covering foxes and other wild animals this is encouraged and "Boris" even gets a much cherished "Rising star"  at the top of his FB page. Wrong is wrong and these people know it but want the social media likes and ****  the wildlife.

Unfortunately for Badger Watch UK and Boris the Badger and Friends you post publicly then those photographs are available on any search engine (four to be exact as I tried them all to make sure)

                                                                               fin

When it comes to rescuing badger cubs from a sett I say go for it if the mother is dead. It is up to the personal conscience of those invo

lved and  DEFRA' can swivel on its office chair.

Latest Badger Deaths and STOP! CHECK! REPORT!

 

Sadly dead badgers numbers 43 and 44 have just been recorded.

It would be higher but I cannot go by vague information.

On other groups when reporting a dead badger PLEASE tag me and also give the exact or very near location.

PLEASE if you see a collapsed or dead badger stop and check it is not lactating (extended teats) as there could be young that need rescuing.

Thanks

"Earth Day" -that's a joke, right?

 

 "Earth Day"

Earth is here for more than one day. Fund raiser, chance to get attention for whatever.

BUT there are people who try to save the environment and species 365 days of the year, every year. That doesn't matter, though as the "big bodies" don't make cash from them.

CARE about the planet 365 days a year not do something one day and feel proud you have "just saved the Earth"

In fact, for the UK it is just two faced hypocrisy as people dig up hedgerows and trees are cut down to make drive ways for their cars or gardens are concreted over because "less hassle to maintain" and wildlife homes are destroyed because "We want the fox and cubs out so we can put down new decking/a new shed" and "How do I get rid of the badgers in my garden?"

To put it bluntly; the UK is a shit hole when it comes to protecting the environment and wildlife and I've been working on this 50 years so I've seen the rot set in.

A Few Notes For A Tuesday: Funding, Conservation (the unpopular stuff)

 

Interesting question the other day that had me laughing for an hour. "What sort of grants or financial support do you get in your badger work?

You have to laugh.

Ahem. In the UK there are no grants for carrying out badger work. The only money goes to the morons who go out "culling" badgers and they do quite well out of it. Decades of experience in the UK counts for nothing because the "nation of animal lovers" is anything but.

I was reminded yesterday that it was 20 badger sett areas I had saved from developers over the last ten years (I could swear it was 12 but then I was reminded of the locations ). That was me working my posterior off contacting developers, DEFRA, land auctioneers and anyone else in the "interested party" category. I do not go out seeking publicity -in fact I annoy people by turning interviews down- and although I have tried to raise interest in donating to the work after a few years I gave up. The Badger trust does NOT fund groups (cash flow is one way).

At one point I was trying to get dead badgers necropsied as post mortems could tell us a lot about urban badgers. I was told an outright lie three times (I have those emails) that "We cannot carry out badger post mortems due to Health and Safety (TB) regulations" -the pathologist who told me that  was carrying out badger PMs at the same time. Considering the Fox Post Mortem study was officially suppressed I should not be surprised -100 badgers PM and zero bovine TB would show how unscientific the cull is.

Outside the UK the badger is recognised as a "scapegoat species" -it is even noted in non-UK written books. Dogma sells books for idiots.

Ask any badger group -or the Badger Trust- WHY badgers survived hundreds of years of melecide while foxes (old types), wi9l;d cats and various other species went into extinction and I am betting the actual answer will not be forthcoming. Years of reading natural history books, journals etc from the 18th century on led me to find out why.

For me the main point of the work has been the safety and conservation of the animals I do work on. Saving them is rewarding enough although it does not pay the rent!

Quick Update

 

Further new locations of badgers in Bristol being added to the confidential list.

I think people in Bristol would be genuinely surprised at just where the badgers are.

Sadly, another possible source to carry out badger necropsies decided today they they made an error in offering to do the work as it "might have a negative impact on the practice". Apparently a few of their clients are farmers so...

Badger Territories Bristol and South Gloucestershire

 

If you live in the City and County of Bristol or South Gloucestershire (seen as "Bristol" traditionally) and have regularly visiting badgers or have a badger sett on your property: PLEASE let me know.

With increasing threats to established habitats from developers and more the badger territories need to be logged and protection established. DO NOT post locations in any open Face Book groups but contact me via the FB Bristol Badger Group and messenger or by email at blacktowercg@hotmail.com.

All information is strictly private and not for disclosure unless a threat to setts identified emerges. Between 1977-2018 I worked with UK police forces and have been a naturalist for 50 years and in that time never once  breached confidentiality.

We need to make sure badgers are protected and can survive.

Thank You