How Many Animals Killed On UK Roads Each Year -it should keep you awake at night

 

National Road Death Survey The Mammal Society 2001

There have been warnings that common mammal species such as hedgehogs, badgers and hares might be declining and face local extinction in certain parts of Europe primarily due to road casualties. In Britain annual road casualties are estimated to account for 100,000 foxes, 100,000 hedgehogs, 50,000 badgers and 30,000-50,000 deer. There is also concern regarding particular bird of prey species such as the barn owl, which is dramatically over-represented in the total number of wildlife road casualties compared with other bird of prey species. For these reasons, The Mammal Society, in collaboration with the Hawk and Owl Trust, undertook a nationwide survey to identify trends in road and habitat characteristics associated with mammal and bird of prey wildlife road casualties.

For one year, in 2000/2001, 281 volunteers from across Britain recorded wild mammal and bird of prey casualties on all road categories except designated trunk roads and motorways, which were excluded on the grounds of safety. A number of habitat and road characteristic variables were recorded at each casualty location including the speed limit, proximity to a bend, presence or absence of a connecting wildlife corridor (e.g. a stream, railway line or hedgerow), and the adjacent land use, verge habitats and highway boundary features Regional differences in casualty rates were also investigated. Volunteers were also requested to record road and habitat data at non- casualty locations along their route so that characteristics occurring disproportionately more frequently at casualty locations than at non-casualty locations could be identified.

Volunteers recorded 5675 mammal casualties and 142 bird of prey casualties. Figures 1 and 2 show the principal mammal and bird of prey road casualty species as proportions of the total number of casualties. The hedgehog was the most numerous mammal casualty recorded (29% of mammal casualties), followed by badger (25%) and fox (19%). The most numerous bird of prey road casualty recorded was the tawny owl (25% of casualties), followed by kestrel (19%) and then barn owl (16%). Casualties as a proportion of British pre-breeding population size were highest for the badger, fox and barn owl.

Habitat and road features influencing the presence/absence of wildlife road casualties are shown in Table 1. The casualty locations of a number of mammal species, including fox, badger and muntjac, and also the barn owl and kestrel were associated with adjacent linear habitat features that connect with road verges and thus funnel wildlife toward traffic. High traffic speed increased the likelihood of many mammal species, including fox, badger and roe deer, and also the tawny owl, falling victim to vehicles as it reduces the time available for drivers and animals to react to danger. Adjacent land use and region were important factors influencing wildlife road casualty locations and appeared to reflect foraging activity and population density. For example, roe deer and tawny owl road casualties were associated with adjacent woodland habitat and badger casualties were disproportionately high in the south-west of England.

Due to the impact of road casualties it has been suggested that barn owls are unable to sustain viable breeding populations in close proximity to trunk roads and motorways and that road casualties may even be responsible for suppressing the populations of some of our common mammal species on a local scale. There are also a significant number of human fatalities and a considerable economic cost associated with collisions between vehicles and wildlife. There is therefore, a conservation and economic argument for substantial investment in wildlife accident prevention. This study has highlighted typical casualty hotspot locations where such mitigation measures should be implemented.

We are extremely grateful for the tremendous effort of all the volunteers who participated in the survey, all of whom will be sent a summary report in the near future.

By Lincoln Garland

Figure 1. Mammal road casualty proportions

 

 

 

 

Figure 2. Bird of prey road casualty proportions

 

 

 

 The 4% between unknown and little owl pertains to sparrowhawks

Table 1. Habitat and road features influencing the presence/absence of wildlife road casualties

 

	Adjacent verge habitat	Adjacent land use	Adjacent highway boundary	Connecting Wildlife corridor	Road speed limit	Proximity to a road bend	Region
Mammals	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns
Hedgehog	ns	√ (urban)	√ (ditch)	ns	ns	ns	ns
Hare	ns	√ (arable)	√ (ditch)	ns	ns	√ (no bend)	√ (north England)
Grey squirrel	√ (wooded)	√ (urban and woodland)	ns	ns	ns	ns	√ (south-east)
Rat	ns	√ (urban)	ns	ns	ns	√ (on bend)	ns
Fox	ns	ns	ns	√	√	ns	ns
Stoat	ns	ns	√ (ditch)	√	√	ns	ns
Weasel	ns	ns	ns	√	ns	ns	ns
Polecat/ferret	ns	√ (pasture)	ns	√	ns	ns	ns
Mink	ns	ns	ns	√	ns	ns	ns
Badger	ns	√ (pasture)	√ (ditch & hedge)	√	√	ns	√ (south-west)
Roe deer	ns	√ (woodland)	√ (ditch)	ns	√	ns	ns
Muntjac	√ (wooded)	ns	√ (ditch and treeline)	√	√	ns	ns
Birds of prey	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns	ns
Kestrel	ns	√ (arable)	ns	√	ns	ns	ns
Barn owl	ns	√ (arable)	√ (no hedge)	√	ns	ns	ns
Tawny owl	ns	√ (woodland)	ns	ns	√	ns	ns

ns – non-significant

√ - significant

Here we have to remember that these are just reports gathered through volunteers and so fox 19% and badger 25% seems to be a little off when the Society states that an estimated 100,000 foxes and 50,000badgers are killed each year on UK roads. In fact, animals killed on roads or being hit by cars are rarely reported as the attitude exists that "animals should not be on the road" and "what's the point of reporting a dead animal?" -something I hear all too often. 

For a country calling itself a "nation of animal lovers" this is literally widespread slaughter on an industrial scale when put alongside hundreds of mammals (and birds) killed each week for shooters 'sport' and the 'legal; killing of 250,000 badgers to stop supposed bovine TB spread. 

With road casualties we know that otters, foxes, badgers and deer are killed daily and in many cases along certain and very specific stretches of road. Yet, there is, unlike most wildlife conscious countries, no use or building of wildlife over or underpasses to stop the casualties. Why not? It might cause a few delays in journeys during building? That is far more preferable than having to record more and more wildlife deaths especially of protected species such as otters and badgers.

Just from the 2023 Bristol Fox and Badger Death Registers we can highlight the areas/roads where most deaths occur and when it comes to otters we know the main road where deaths happen. The UKs local and national 'policies' on environment and conservation are a joke at best and a smoke screen/lie at worse.

Firstly, it might be worth the Home Office examining the widespread use of firearms for 'sport' because on most of the shooters' online pages they brag about the wildlife (and other animals) they have killed and post photographs of themselves with their 'trophies' and yet, the law states (in the case of foxes for instance) that they may be "controlled" if a threat top livestock. So the killing of "hundreds" according to 'sportsmen' of foxes every month is illegal -what livestock are foxes able to take down (and ignore the false lamb claim) especially on the outskirts of towns and cities where foxes mainly feed on rodents and wild rabbits?

Why are fox numbers tumbling i9n the UK? Well, traffic for one and the other is the killing of breeding pairs of foxes as well as cubs.  The number of vixens we record being killed by cars alone shows that there are simply not enough to continue breeding a strong and healthy population and so many are suffering from illnesses and not recovering -the 100,000 per year is looking a tad slim compared to the probable actual number of fox deaths each year in total.

And, yes, I am aware that some shooters include off duty police officers so perhaps the blind eye of the law is blind for a reason?

We need to tackle decline in wildlife while we still can and when you also consider that Mammal Society report was from 2001 and that traffic has increased greatly since then it becomes something that should keep people concerned with wildlife and conservation up at night. It does me.

We need to construct wildlife underpasses and regulate shooting for 'sport'.  We also need to legally come down hard on estates and those who allow the killing of protected and reintroduced birds of prey etc. That or just watch as wildlife disappear.