68th KNOWN Badger Death This Year

 

068 Thursday 11 06 2026 RTA badger cubA369 Martcombe Road in Easton-in-Gordano BS20

Have We LOST The War For The Environment and Wildlife?

 Simply: yes.  

People are not interested in standing up for anything outside of their houses and driveways. People do not stop when they hit wildlife and do not care if the animal takes hours to die -"Shouldn't be on the road" is the usual response.  

Mature growth trees chopped down ("unavoidable") -"so what?"

It is now declared that "five new towns" will be built around Bristol (we've already seen the damage one "new suburb" underway has done).  NOT towns but in reality suburbs and guess where some will be built? Green sites and on traditionally wildlife rich areas because "they are pretty sites".

We are going to see an increase in wildlife and particularly badger, deaths during building due to site traffic and poisonous/hazardous materials left out. That is standard. Once pushed out of traditional clan territories WHERE will the badgers go? Onto the new builds where a developer will "get rid of them on the quiet"?  Certainly you can be assured that new home owners will be driving their cars over or through wildlife.

Corrupt local authorities and corrupt governments don't care and they know that the great British 'animal loving' public will simply sit back and let them do what they want.

After 50+ years I can tell you that no matter how hard we battle the war is lost because in reality NO ONE really cares.

Portway Traffic Strike Again

 

Sad to report:

067 Thursday 11 06 2026 dead badger on Sylvian Way just off the Portway.

Not the first there and I doubt it will be the last.

Can someone stop a rescuer treating sick wildlife?(and, YES, they do regularly)

legally, they generally cannot prevent authorized professionals or a member of the public from taking a sick, injured, or orphaned wild animal to a vet or rescue for adequate treatment. However, in practice, bystanders can create conflict, and there are varying rules depending on the situation and location. [1, 2]

The Legal Standing (UK)

Taking for Treatment: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 legally permits anyone to take a sick, injured, or protected wild animal from the wild for the express purpose of providing it with adequate treatment and supportive care until it is fit to be released. [1]
Prevention Rights: A member of the public does not "own" the wildlife on their property. Therefore, they do not have the legal right to stop an authorized person (like an RSPCA officer or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator) from recovering or helping an animal in distress.

Private Property and Trespass

Access Rights: Private landowners can prevent rescuers from physically entering their land based on trespass laws. However, if an animal is in distress, rescuers often work with local authorities to negotiate access or involve the police to prevent an animal from being subjected to unnecessary suffering. [1, 2]
Interfering with a Rescue: Intentionally obstructing a lawful wildlife rescue or abusing a rescuer can escalate into a civil dispute or even a criminal offense, particularly if the prevention leads to cruelty or a protected species being harmed. [1]

Handling and Ethics

Intervention Debates: While people generally cannot stop rescuers, there is an ongoing ethical debate surrounding the rescue of wildlife. Some individuals believe in the natural order of things (survival of the fittest) and may voice frustration or try to stop well-meaning rescuers from intervening, though this does not grant them a legal right to stop the rescue. [1, 2]
The Danger of "Killing with Kindness": The British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council actively warns that while the public's intentions are compassionate, unlicensed or untrained individuals attempting to keep and treat wild animals themselves can cause more harm or delay necessary veterinary care. [1]

How to Handle Confrontation

If a property owner or bystander is attempting to obstruct a rescue, professional organizations strongly advise the following steps: [1]

Avoid confrontation: Step away to ensure personal safety.
Document the situation: Note the location, the animal's condition, and the person preventing the rescue.
Involve authorities: Contact the Police or a national animal welfare charity (such as the RSPCA in the UK) to handle the dispute and ensure the animal receives the care it needs. [1, 2]

One Less Cub

 

A cub left by the side of the road is 066. No idea what happened to the mother.

'Thank you' to  the driver who simply drove on. About time it was made illegal to not report hitting wildlife with your vehicle.

Note to the person who said these posts are very depressing.  Well, I have had to record and look at photos of dead wildlife daily and it is what is going on in the real world.  "Mr and Mrs Badger" are not having tea under a mushroom every night with Mr and Mrs Fox.

Monday =TWO Dead Badgers

 Bristol City Council declares it is fighting for the environment and wildlife which is struggling wildlife dies because developers money is far more important than taking any action.

064 Monday 08 06 2026 (reported) Dead badger A4174 ring road heading north just near entrance to Holiday Inn near UWE turnoff ( looks like this poor thing has been there for a while so it might have already been reported - it's pretty decimated)

065 Monday 08 06 2026 Dead badger found on Southmead Rd, by the turning to Felstead Rd.

We think we know where 065 may have come from although it is possible that there is a sett in a garden in that locale. If anyone knows and can message me privately I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Badgers Can Climb? How Ridiculous!

 I was just looking at this image from South Essex Wildlife Hospital and it reminded me of other clips I have seen since trail cams and CCTV have become a thing.

I once had a chat with a woman who had a nice, 6 feet high (1.82m) wooden fence put up around her back garden. One night her husband sat up in bed quickly. "What's wrong?" She asked him. His reply was "Some ------ getting over our fence!"

The husband got up and switched on the exterior lights and looked out. Nothing. After checking no one was breaking in they settled down for the night again.

Next night at the same sort of time the woman heard the fence creak as though someone was getting over it. She woke her husband who turned on the outside lights and got a baseball bat (seriously, this is England and a cricket bat will do) and looked around. Both found it a bit unnerving and both thought at the same time that it was someone "casing" the house before breaking in.

The next night both sat up by the window and, same time, they heard something but not on the fence but on the patio. They quietly opened the window and looked down. Was it a burglar? No."It was the biggest bloody badger we've ever seen but we had no idea they were in this area!" The couple watched as the badger sniffed around and they were delighted but her husband told her "I thought we were going to catch our fence jumper!"

Both then fell silent as the badger scaled the fence, making the same noise they had heard twice before and jumped down into the garden behind. The couple had notice 'someone'[ had left a trail through the grass and realised the badger followed the same path.

The husband "made a badger hole in the fence"  and it seems the badger took that way out from then on.

Yes, badgers can climb onto low tree branches over walls and fences and, I am told, up a wall and into someone's house (makes a change from cat flaps!