Badger Cull Areas -are you in one?

 If you want to know whether you are in a badger cull zone and want to find out about cull numbers then this link will take you to last years report

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1015421/tb-min-max-numbers-2021.pdf

Badger deaths and post mortems.

I have checked with Post Mortem Services and have been told that none of the organisations associated with animal post mortems would take a badger for post mortem examination.

Before everything got re-organised and re-legislated badgers COULD be submitted however, now, Health and Safety forbids post mortem examination. The reason isthat it is consideredthat badgers are carriers of TB and therefore that raises a serious health risk to those involved.

For this reason I cannot request post mortems on badgers.

Rather like foxes, the injuries badgers die from after being involved in a car strike would be internal haemorraging, etc. There is a badger recorded as having no signs externally after being attacked by a wolf (not in UK) but during post mortem its internal organs etc were "a mess".

If you find a dead badger with some blood around its mouth/muzzle area that is probably a good sign that it was hit by a car. Badgers like foxes (again) can move away from the incident scene and die in gardens or elsewhere.

Something like clear bite marks etc might indicate badger baiting but the reports of healthy conditioned looking badgers being found dead around Bristol are very likely RTA.

Foxes and badgers both suffer heavily from motorists -often not reporting they hit an animal- and this is why the number killed each year may just be under the 60,000+ noted with fox death "guesstimations".

So if you find a dead badger report it to the locakl authority who remove carcasses free of charge. If you find dead badgers in Bristol please take a photo and send it along with location to me to keep a record.

Thank you

Bristol Badgers

 

 

Back in 1994 in Ashton Vale (it was classed by Avon Wildlife Trust as a “wildlife deprivation zone” –ie. No wildlife recorded and so of no real interest) I saw and counted many beetles and other insects. I also saw a pair of foxes walk up the road and a pair of barn owls flew low down over me so that all the individual feathers and facial features were visible. Oh, and one of the biggest hedgehogs I had ever seen.

Over the next few days I noted field mice, feral pigeons as well as dumped racing pigeons, hawks and even buzzards, shrews all sorts of moths and butterflies and so I set about building the 50 x 70 feet garden into a wildlife friendly area –budleija, sunflowers, wild plants and the front garden was designed as a cottage garden. But with all this wildlife how could it be a “wildlife deprivation area”?

I contacted Avon Wildlife Trust and asked to whom I should send my wildlife survey (after a year of compiling it) ?  I was told that they would be happy to hear of my survey after I had paid to join. I assumed there was a misunderstanding but I was told the same thing over the phone: no membership –no interest in the survey. I decided then and there to set up the Vale Wildlife Group (VWG). One thing I had not bargained on was the local hostility to wildlife!

I pointed out a woodpecker that had just flown onto a tree branch and my neighbour just shrugged “Another bloody bird is all” end of conversation. The wife of another neighbour told myself and a friend that if an hedgehog got in the way she just kicked it aside. I suddenly found that I was quite literally the focus of hate because I was trying to promote wildlife in the area. When the Yanley Quarry site was to be developed as a public park and nature reserve I was asked to be the wildlife consultant on the project –the harassment and anger aimed at me was incredible and the company turning an old tip into a public facility…I dread to think what backlash they faced.

The VWG continued and at least some locals were interested in how to build wildlife ponds, get insects identified and even have an adder removed from their back garden. Most queries for advice etc came from other areas of Bristol but I kept on monitoring local wildlife and still do.

Around 1997 I was completing two technical papers when the subject of badgers cropped up and I found myself involved in recording badger activity. I then thought that it would be easier to pass the information on to a local badger group and one was recorded as being at the RSPCA office in Gloucester Road –it still is!- but letters, phone messages –no responses. So I asked Avon Wildlife Trust about this and a more helpful lady told me she thought the badger group was now defunct. So out of stupidity I said I’d handle monitoring though by the mid 2000s the Fox Study was taking all of my time.

Recently I have been asked for badger advice again and, it appears, the only coverage for the City and County of Bristol comes from the Somerset Badger Watch! It seems almost impossible to believe that a city such as Bristol has no Fox Watch group and no badger watch group.

Consider this "Badgers In The City of Bristol" by Prof Stephen Harris, Dept of Biology, Bristol University from Biological Conservation journal Vol 28 no. 4, 1984 pp 349-375 

http://www.badgerland.co.uk/education/journals/environment/bristol_badgers.html

Ecology of Urban badgers - Distribution in Britain and habitat selection, persecution, food and damage in the city of Bristol Few towns and cities in Britain were found to contain badgers, and in most the numbers of setts were low. Urban areas most likely to contain badgers were those in which badgers were common in the surrounding rural areas; most urban badger populations were thought to be relicts that had survived urban encroachment. In a detailed survey of Bristol, 346 setts were located in an area of 129·4 km2. These setts were confined mainly to three areas; their past history, present distribution, habitat selection and levels of disturbance are discussed. The damage caused by badgers in north-west Bristol to garden crops and other aspects of their nuisance value are documented. The food of badgers in the same area of Bristol is also described; unlike rural badgers they took a diversity of food types, but specialized in feeding on fruit in the autumn.

Journal Biological Conservation - Volume 28, Issue 4 , 1984, Pages 349-375 Authors Stephen Harris from the Department of Zoology, University of Bristol Abstract Ecology of Urban badgers - Distribution in Britain and habitat selection, persecution, food and damage in the city of Bristol Few towns and cities in Britain were found to contain badgers, and in most the numbers of setts were low. Urban areas most likely to contain badgers were those in which badgers were common in the surrounding rural areas; most urban badger populations were thought to be relicts that had survived urban encroachment. In a detailed survey of Bristol, 346 setts were located in an area of 129·4 km2. These setts were confined mainly to three areas; their past history, present distribution, habitat selection and levels of disturbance are discussed. The damage caused by badgers in north-west Bristol to garden crops and other aspects of their nuisance value are documented. The food of badgers in the same area of Bristol is also described; unlike rural badgers they took a diversity of food types, but specialized in feeding on fruit in the autumn.

 Since 1984 the number of feeders and people who have become badger friendly -as they have fox friendly- has increased tremendously through education on the animal. 

We have any number of wildlife groups in various areas of Bristol and I know that it may involve going out in cold, wet weather –unless you can monitor from your home- but we need to know what is going on with the population and get denning sites protected and record deaths. That requires volunteers.

I know where there is badger activity in Bristol so it is a base from which to build up a better picture.  What I would like to do is add to this so need the following information:

1. Where badgers are in your area –this is NOT for public disclosure as too many “undesirables” monitor wildlife groups.

2. Do you know how many badgers and whether they have had young in 2021?

3. Have you noticed any illnesses or sign of possible ill health in badgers locally?

4. Do badgers and foxes appear to get on in your area?

5. I am only starting this particular one from yesterday (12^th January): please report any dead badgers you see particularly any that look like they died unusually

 

As we have trouble storing and transporting dead foxes to Langford for post mortem we cannot do this for badgers. A dead badger would need to be placed in a bin-liner and kept cold or frozen and then transported so unless a group can undertake that it is beyond anything I can do.  I will be checking with Post Mortem Services re. the situation in accepting badgers though.

 

Please contact me through Face Book messenger but do not post locations of badgers etc on groups. Thanks.

Says It All: A Diversity of Wildlife Is Good for Our Health: To Prevent Future Pandemics, We Must Restore and Protect Nature

 This post from SciTech says it all but is still only just skimming the surface.

https://scitechdaily.com/a-diversity-of-wildlife-is-good-for-our-health-to-prevent-future-pandemics-we-must-restore-and-protect-nature/?fbclid=IwAR3ZjBtwiRMdAHa4-LVYofT6yEb4PoINA1cKaKZv-OpNqGOrUptvG71x8YM

By CARY INSTITUTE OF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES MAY 8, 2021

Ecosystems with a diversity of mammals, including larger-bodies and longer lived creatures like foxes, are better for our health. Credit: Ali Rajabali / Flickr

A growing body of evidence suggests that biodiversity loss increases our exposure to both new and established zoonotic pathogens. Restoring and protecting nature is essential to preventing future pandemics. So reports a new Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) paper that synthesizes current understanding about how biodiversity affects human health and provides recommendations for future research to guide management.

Lead author Felicia Keesing is a professor at Bard College and a Visiting Scientist at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. She explains, “There’s a persistent myth that wild areas with high levels of biodiversity are hotspots for disease. More animal diversity must equal more dangerous pathogens. But this turns out to be wrong. Biodiversity isn’t a threat to us, it’s actually protecting us from the species most likely to make us sick.”

Zoonotic diseases like COVID-19, SARS, and Ebola are caused by pathogens that are shared between humans and other vertebrate animals. But animal species differ in their ability to pass along pathogens that make us sick.

Rick Ostfeld is a disease ecologist at Cary Institute and a co-author on the paper. He explains, “Research is mounting that species that thrive in developed and degraded landscapes are often much more efficient at harboring pathogens and transmitting them to people. In less-disturbed landscapes with more animal diversity, these risky reservoirs are less abundant and biodiversity has a protective effect.”

Free-ranging longhorn cattle at Knepp Wildland, a 3,500-acre lowland rewilding project in England. Credit: Matt Ellery – Knepp Estate – Flickr

Rodents, bats, primates, cloven-hooved mammals like sheep and deer, and carnivores have been flagged as the mammal taxa most likely to transmit pathogens to humans. Keesing and Ostfeld note, “The next emerging pathogen is far more likely to come from a rat than a rhino.”

This is because animals with fast life histories tend to be more efficient at transmitting pathogens. Keesing explains, “Animals that live fast, die young, and have early sexual maturity with lots of offspring tend to invest less in their adaptive immune responses. They are often better at transmitting diseases, compared to longer-lived animals with stronger adaptive immunity.”

When biodiversity is lost from ecological communities, long-lived, larger-bodied species tend to disappear first, while smaller-bodied species with fast life histories tend to proliferate. Research has found that mammal hosts of zoonotic viruses are less likely to be species of conservation concern (i.e. they are more common), and that for both mammals and birds, human development tends to increase the abundance of zoonotic host species, bringing people and risky animals closer together.

When land is developed and fragmented, species that are more efficient at spreading zoonotic diseases tend to proliferate. Credit: Cary Institute Photo Archive

“When we erode biodiversity, we favor species that are more likely to be zoonotic hosts, increasing our risk of spillover events,” Ostfeld notes. Adding that, “Managing this risk will require a better understanding of how things like habitat conversion, climate change, and overharvesting affect zoonotic hosts, and how restoring biodiversity to degraded areas might reduce their abundance.”

To predict and prevent spillover, Keesing and Ostfeld highlight the need to focus on host attributes associated with disease transmission rather than continuing to debate the prime importance of one taxon or another. Ostfeld explains, “We should stop assuming that there is a single animal source for each emerging pathogen. The pathogens that jump from animals to people tend to be found in many animal species, not just one. They’re jumpers, after all, and they typically move between species readily.”

Disentangling the characteristics of effective zoonotic hosts – such as their immune strategies, resilience to disturbance, and habitat preferences – is key to protecting public health. Forecasting the locations where these species thrive, and where pathogen transmission and emergence are likely, can guide targeted interventions.

Keesing notes, “Restoration of biodiversity is an important frontier in the management of zoonotic disease risk. Those pathogens that do spill over to infect humans–zoonotic pathogens–often proliferate as a result of human impacts.” Concluding, “As we rebuild our communities after COVID-19, we need to have firmly in mind that one of our best strategies to prevent future pandemics is to protect, preserve, and restore biodiversity.”

Reference: “Impacts of biodiversity and biodiversity loss on zoonotic diseases” by Felicia Keesing and Richard S. Ostfeld, 5 April 2021, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023540118

This research was supported by a National Science Foundation Grant OPUS 1948419 to Keesing.

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is an independent nonprofit center for environmental research. Since 1983, our scientists have been investigating the complex interactions that govern the natural world and the impacts of climate change on these systems. Our findings lead to more effective management and policy actions and increased environmental literacy. Staff are global experts in the ecology of: cities, disease, forests, and freshwater.

Conifer plantation push could threaten red squirrel population...the threat is actually Humans

 I have to say that I am getting more than a little fed up at all of this "red squirrels were being wiped out by grey squirrels" nonsense.  Back in March I referred to the question about the red squirrel https://exoticanimalsregister.blogspot.com/2021/03/uk-and-exotic-species-human-aided.html

People are still -still- shooting and trapping red squirrels as "vermin" -especially where forestry that is seen as a financial investment is concerned. Talking to someone the other day I was told the owner of a large country estate had been out a couple weeks back shooting red squirrels, rabbits and anything else he and his associates could find. The idea and practice of the medieval fiefdom where the lord and master can do whatever he wants still exists in the UK. Policem, RSPCA et al: "private property we can't go onto the land there" -even when they know wildlife crimes are being committed.

So the idea that we had a great red  squirrel population before the grey squirrel got here is rot. The grey adapts to a situation while the red seems stuck in a rut of sorts. The new forestry planted will be looked at as a financial investment not just to clean up our air. Red squirrels damage trees (barking etc) then watch them disappear. Who knows they vanish and if they find out it is a case of "Oh, those bloody grey squirrels" and everyone sits back in the ignorance they have been fed and repeat "Bloody grey squirrels. Vermin"

Also worth pointing out that the red squirrels today are NOT our original squirrels who shared the same fate as our Old foxes and were replaced by imported squirrels to continue the 'sport'.

Face it; for a nation of "animal lovers" we still allow fox-hunting, badger baiting and so much more and the squirrel is just one victim in all of this. A well financed independent UK wide wildlife agency is needed and when I write independent I mean independent of the government nationally or locally and with powers to enforce protective legislation on private and common land.

Fiona Harvey Yahoo! Environment Correspndent

Photograph: Ian Lamond/Alamy

Research shows planned expansion of conifer woodlands across the UK could have unintended consequences

Conifer plantations, which are being expanded around the UK to combat the climate crisis and foster biodiversity, are in danger of hurting one of the key species they were thought to protect: red squirrels.

The threatened red squirrels, driven to near-extinction over most of the UK by grey squirrel incursion, were thought to thrive in conifer habitats as the food sources in such forests tend to be limited to small seeded cones, which red squirrels are better at exploiting than the more generalist grey squirrels. That should mean conifer plantations prove better for red squirrels than greys.

But new research upends that perception by highlighting the role of pine martens. These native predators were until recently, like the red squirrel, in short supply. Recovery in their numbers has shown that pine martens are generally good for red squirrel populations, at least in native broadleaf woodlands, because they suppress the numbers of grey squirrels.

The research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, found this was not true in conifer plantations, where pine martens lack diverse sources of food and prey on red squirrels instead, turning them from a protector to a threat.

To conduct the research, scientists from Queen’s University Belfast and the University of St Andrews, with Ulster Wildlife and the help of citizen scientists, used camera traps to survey more than 700 sites across Northern Ireland over a five-year period, looking for red squirrels, grey squirrels and pine martens.

Dr Joshua Twining, lead author of the research, from Queen’s University in Belfast, explained the findings: “In natural woodland, there are diverse amounts of prey, and lots of refuges for squirrels, so red squirrels don’t get predated all that much. But in conifer plantations, where a single species is planted and of uniform age there is very little biodiversity or alternate prey, and an absence of refuges, so pine martens will eat red squirrels to survive here.”

He said the research suggested that woodland managers should reconsider whether conifer plantations should be preferred over native broadleaf trees. “We need to adapt our strategy: if we keep planting conifer plantations, as opposed to native woodland, this saviour of the red squirrel may cause its decline in certain locations,” he warned. About three-quarters of the forested area of the UK and Ireland is made up of non-native timber plantations, of species such as the sitka spruce, according to the researchers.

Conifer plantations were already a cause of concern to ecologists, as they tend to be monocultures, are often harvested after a few decades, and may provide less diversity than native broadleaf species. But government planting schemes in the UK and Ireland have tended to favour conifers, which are easier to plant and harvest.

A spokesperson for the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We are committed to taking action to recover our threatened native species in England, such as the red squirrel. The planting of coniferous trees in England is at a low level, with our Nature for Climate Fund focusing on the establishment of native broadleaf woodlands at a large scale. Alongside our England Trees Action Plan, this will support the recovery of native red squirrel populations across the country.”

Avian Influenza -interactive map (UK)

 This link will take you to the Animal Plant Health Advisory interactive maps and it is well worth keeping updated on protection zones and the spread.

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8cb1883eda5547c6b91b5d5e6aeba90d

Paramyxovirus (PMV) and Pigeons

I have taken this information from the Pigeon Aid page. Having dealt with several pigeons with PMV I know the old rule was that if it had PMV it had to be put down -luckily I found PMV pigeon sanctuaries where the rescued birds could live in a flock situation with others.

http://www.pigeon-aid.org.uk/pa/html/paramyxovirus__pmv_.php

The Pigeon Aid page was last updated in 2011 and there seems to be no contact email. However, it provides excellent information for anyone finding a sick pigeon..

You can find the Gov.UK advice on PMV here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/paramyxovirus-infection#legislation-on-paramyxovirus

a pigeon with PMV (c) respective copyright owner. Pigeon.biz

**Please remember that whenever you take in a sick pigeon it is vital that you warm it up before feeding or giving water and that you rehydrate it before feeding. All fluids should be warmed to 39 degrees centigrade.** PIGEON PARAMYXOVIRUS is a viral disease that does not affect man or animals, but a human that handles a pigeon with PMV or the live vaccine can develop conjunctivitis if sensible precautions are not taken (eg, do not touch your eyes immediately after handling a pigeon with PMV or the live vaccine). Incubation period can vary from a few days to several weeks. It is most often of moderate virulence with 5% to 10% mortality, but rarely highly virulent strains can cause 90% mortality. Mortality rates are significantly higher if supportive care is not given (eg. when the virus is injected experimentally in a laboratory). Water deprivation and stress increase mortality. Spontaneous recovery within 6 - 12 weeks is common, but recovery can take longer. Nervous symptoms can persist for life or return in times of stress. Some pigeons will suffer from persistent diarrhoea after recovery. SYMPTOMS: Diarrhoea is often the first symptom, but feral pigeons will not often come to the attention of a rescuer until the nervous signs appear. Not all symptoms will be present at the same time. All symptoms are aggravated by excitement. The most common symptoms seen by the rescuer will be: Thin broken solid droppings in a pool of liquid Fine tremor of eyes or head Staggering Somersaulting in flight Crash landing Difficulty picking up seed, pecking and missing. Tossing seed backwards Twisting neck, head upside down (torticollis, star gazing) - see photo. Paralysis of legs or wings Spiralling in flight Flying backwards Turning in circles Having fits   HOUSING During the recovery period keep pigeons with Pigeon PMV in a quiet, warm (not hot) cage with soft flooring away from any intense light source. Towelling is ideal for flooring as they can damage their feathering if they have fits. Provide a brick for perching.   FEEDING AND WATERING Place seed in a deep dish so that if they stab at random they can pick seed up. Because Pigeon PMV can cause fits pigeons are at risk of drowning but they need free access to water. Provide water (with added electrolytes if possible) in a deep narrow container to minimise the risk of accidental drowning. Watch the pigeon to ensure it is drinking. Hand feeding may be necessary. If feeding by gavage tube is not an option the pigeon's mouth has to be opened and the food pushed to the back of throat. Suitable foods that can be fed this way include pellets of egg food paste dipped in water, small soaked pieces of dog biscuit, frozen peas and sweetcorn thawed in hot water for about 20 - 30 minutes (not tinned). Weigh the pigeon daily and carry out a poop count to ensure that he is getting enough food. As a guideline: a healthy pigeon will pass between 20 and 30 raisin sized poops a day.   Above: two pigeons recovering from PMV. (c)2021 respective copyright owner NURSING CARE Supportive care is usually sufficient. Resistance to other diseases such as coccidiosis, trichomoniasis and aspergillosis is reduced. Avoid conditions that could aggravate these conditions (stress, damp etc), watch out for symptoms and provide prompt treatment if symptoms appear. The disease runs its course in about 6 weeks, by that time the pigeon has stopped shedding the virus and won't infect other pigeons but nervous symptoms and gastro-intestinal may persist longer. Vitamins should be given to boost the immune system. Probiotics can be used to crowd out any bad gut bacteria. Electrolytes can be given to replace the electrolytes lost through polyuria. I have found that providing a calcium supplement on arrival (Gem Calcium Syrup with Vitamin D3) has helped. The dose I gave was two drops a day for 3 days. Do not use antibiotics without consulting a vet. They can intensify the lesions and aggravate the course of the disease.   SOME USEFUL HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES I have had some success treating the paralysis/stroke symptoms of Pigeon PMV using the homeopathic remedy Conium Maculatum (common hemlock) dosing with a single tablet of the 30 potency three times a day for up to 10 days. Birds that tremble and fall over when they try to move because their balance is impaired may benefit from Argenitum Nit 30 potency, one tablet given 3 or 4times a day for up to 2 days. Belladonna can be used for birds that are restless with convulsive movement and jerking limbs. 2 pilules twice a day. **Remember not to touch homeopathic pilules with your hands, this can contaminate them and reduce effectiveness, give them on a clean mouth (no food or additions to the drinking water 20 minutes before or 20 minutes after) and stop the remedy as soon as an improvement shows** HYGIENE Pigeon PMV is highly infectious to other pigeons , victims should be kept isolated from other birds for at least 6 weeks. Maintain scrupulous hygiene , regularly disinfecting food and water containers with bleach. Always see to a pigeon with Pigeon PMV after you have treated your other birds. That reduces the risk of carrying the infection to other birds in your care. Wash hands after contact and take care not to track fecal waste or carry fecal dust to areas where other birds are. Some rescuers keep a clean overall and shoes just inside the isolation area, to put on while caring for Pigeon PMV sufferers and remove when leaving the area. Dispose of droppings wisely, they can be a source of infection to feral pigeons.   PREVENTION AND CONTROL In a loft situation it is important to vaccinate pigeons against Pigeon PMV. Remember that it is the pigeon that is not showing any symptoms of Pigeon PMV but is shedding the virus that is the greatest danger to other pigeons. By the time the obvious symptoms appear the virus could have infected other pigeons in your care. Always isolate new pigeons. They can be vaccinated if they show no signs of the disease after 10 days in quarantine.