Dead Badgers. Dead Foxes. The Lack of Cooperation is NOT Coming From Officials

 

 I just posted this to the three main Bristol groups: Bristol Nature Network, Bristol Naturalists and Bristol and Surrounding Area Wildlife. This is me getting a tad angry.

As it seems some local group (Friends of Eastville Park) has decided to block my post on the serious matter of badger deaths and unidentified blue material found there (in fact all my comments seem to have gone) I have had enough.

So here is what I wrote:

Hello.

If possible, please indulge me, I would like to make certain points as it seems that no one is really that intersted in larger carnivores in Bristol. However, they are interested in spreading lies and rumours for their own reasons.

I am a field naturalist and mammalogist of over 40 years and in that time I have never given out anything confidential. From 1977-2015 and my semi retirement I was a UK police forces wildlife consultant and I still very rarely talk about that work.

I have stated repeatedly that the locations of badger setts and fox dens should not be publicly publicised, as I am now, so I am told, also and environmentalist-conservationist if I cannot be trusted with information then who can?

I do not pass info to DEFRA as I strongly disapprove of the badger culls. The work stays with myself and to date I have looked at four Bristol badger deaths and my colleague Zoe Webber has been out today to look at another badger reported dead. So we have recorded FOUR dead badgers as well as unusual substance that the local park group appears to want to remain silent on (even removing my comments on the matter it seems.

The British Fox Study (f. 1976) has aFox Deaths Project that I fought hard to get going and have an official [pathologist carry out post mortems. We are making headway with that and what we are finding out about foxes and how they die, etc.

Since at least the 1990s (when I dropped the study) no one has been keeping track of badgers in the Cityu, where their setts are and checking whether any deaths are natural, RTA or something else.

I have been sounding the warning bell on snaring in and around the City -the fact that an official post mported listed this as cause of death appears to have raised no interest.

I have warned about a number of threats to badgers and foxes and yet I am not to be trusted? Where are all the naturalists specialising in foxes and badgers because I could certyainly do with help -this is an unfunded effort and yet for at least nine months cooperation from naturalist groups and wildlife groups in and around the City has been non existent.

To those who have helped in any way -THANK YOU.

I DO NOT work for DEFRA and am not "scoping pout badger setts" nor am I trying to locate fox dens for some fantasy "extermination plan". Ask DEFRA and aalso Bristol City Council who have been obstructive just how "in their pocket" I am.

My concern is for the welfare of the wildlife -foxes and badgers in particular- and any threats against them. I reject newspaper,TV and radio interviews so as to NOT draw attention to myuself or my work.

I work 18+ hours a day on this and all year round. Therefore if anyone wishes to make any claims please post them on group so that they can be dealt with.

Thank You

But then the Friends of Eastville Park group got in touch about my posts on the dead badgers and unidentified blue substance.

"Friends of Eastville Park:

"Hi . We are waiting on a protocol for reporting from BCC (Bristol City Council -THS). As evidenced on the thread, there is some confusion on the most effective way of having corpses removed. We have agreed with council that a clear policy would work best and once we have it, we will produce a simple poster for the park and feature it at the head of our group page.

Facebook being what it is, messages drop down and get quickly forgotten so this approach will guarantee that it reaches everyone. Once we have it,

I'll invite you to input regarding your request to be contacted and we'll include it on the poster- that way, all the info will be in one place.

Comments from various members were deleted due to them containing guesses dressed up as facts which might alarm people. The thread was also getting quite lengthy and the original subject was getting a bit lost so we restricted comments at that point.

We'll get a simple, definitive message out there- it always works best."

To which I rsponded:

"Hello. As I pointed out I established the protocol re dead carnivores in Bristol and their collection and post mortem examination where possible. BCC has NO protocol other than pick up and incinerate -it will not even after a year clarify to worried allotment owners the situation re rat poison on allotments.

I will be leaving the group as obviously my opinion and experience on this matter is of no interest"

Committees that sit on their asses and wait for Bristol City Council will still be waiting in a year. The UK National Carnivore Advisory/The British Fox Study spent months fighting for dead foxes to be officially examined after death. We are prepared to do the same for badgers -my colleague Zoe Webber was out earlier today checking on another dead badger in an area close to the Park (too decomposed).

So long as people want to sit on their hands let them. Both Zoe and myself will deal with dead foxes and badgers as they are reported and if we come across any unidentified substance I will be sure that it gets examined officially.

Again, to those who HAVE helped in some way, even reporting dead animals -THANK YOU

(Ashton) Vale Wildlife Group

 For anyone in the Ashton Vale area there is a new Face Book page though from a 28 year old group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/315237280619688

Dead Fox and Dead Badgers -a Connection? Update

Apparently my warning post to Frieds of Eastville Park Face Book group will not be published. I have been told that this is because of a number of things:

1.  Bristol City Council has refused to analyse the blue substance found as it is "probably harmless". One wonders why the "fighters for the environment" council always fudges around when poison is mentioned? Also there is protected wildlife in the Park and that inc;ludes the badgers a protected species.

2. "We are also trying to establish if the last two badgers found were one and the same or not." Well, I established that the two January badger reports were of the same crcasse as no one had reported it to Bristol City Council; I reported it to the head of the team and it was collected. The one from a couple days ago makes three dead badgers.

I have contacted the Animal Plant Health Advisory regarding the substance to see what they advise.

I have also pointed out that the council collects and incinerates and that in the first instance I should be contacted and any photos taken forwarded to assess whether a post mortem -and exception- can be carried out to find the cause of death. I also highlighted the need for local cooperation.

We have someone locally so should another dead badger turn up then WE will deal with it.

__________

I am only one person and in a City as big as Bristol we need the people to keep an eye on the environment as well as wildlife. No one was interested in fox deaths and I had to fight for months before post mortems were approved and those are yielding results.

As I have outlined in other posts we are not currently carrying out post mortems on badgers but it may prove necessary.

I posted this on 1st November: Just seen this is messages from this morning: 

"Hello Terry, I’m also a member on the BS16 wildlife group and thought you may be able help. Yesterday morning I spotted (and picked up) what I believe to be a fox poo on Clarence Avenue BS16 filled with a blue substance (colour of rat poison / slug killer). I thought you’d be the person to message as I see you’ve done some investigations of fox distribution over the years and I also have read there have been a lot of suspicious fox deaths lately. I usually don’t post on public pages, but would you recommend I share this in the local FB groups too so people are aware? Thank you, Madeline"

And 2nd Nov:"If you live in BS10 or BS16 please pass the word along. We have no idea what the pellets are but they are obviously being consumed and put out deliberately in an area noted for unusual fox deaths this year. 

I have today contacted South Cloucestershire Council as well as the council environmental department. The lady who reported the blue pelleted scat yesterday was walking along Hermitage Road when she found more (see photo). This now seems to be deliberate baiting and could result in fox, badger or hedgehog death or even the death of a domestic pet.

 Wildlife Incident Investigation Schemwe as well as the chief pathologist at the University PM Services have now been informed, Unfortunately we have no one that could collect the droppings at the moment to hand over to Langford Veterinary School. If you are out and about and spot more of this please alert everyone on group if you can. Thank you

22 Jan Eastville Park: "Does anyone know what this is? Located at the end of Everest Road entrance to the park. There was a lot more of it. I cannot be sure, but it looks like rat poison. Dog walkers beware."

 

South Glos council had no interest in the blue substance despite the possible implications. I have just posted to Friends of Eastville Park asking whetherthey submitted the substance for analysis and as what poisoned the recent fox -bromadiolone- comes in blue pellets I asked anyone spotting blue material to have it removed and stored and get it submitted for analysis. Might just be coincidence but they have a group keeping an eye on the park so just sitting on their asses is not good enough.

I have just posted to Friends of Eastville Park and asked about the pellets again. Last December a badger was found dead near the lake. In January another dead badger was found near the Park entrance pathway. Yesterday (03 02 2022) a third dead badger was found. Natural causes?

Today I had a post mortem report on a Bristol fox found dead at the end of January:

" it is likely that this fox died from exposure to bromadiolone, given the size of this residue and that there were also haemorrhagic findings on post-mortem. The brodifacoum is at a background level only. The source of the bromadiolone is uncertain."

The poison mentioned comes in blue pellet form.

If you find blue pellets near wildlife corridors or anything suspicious report it to the RSPCA or police as a potential wildlife crime.

The Problem of Dead Badgers

 

We are in the position where Bristol has a number of local wildlife groups and three main naturalist groups yet no one has been dealing with badgers. I tried in the 1990s and then 2000s to try to locate the legendary Bristol Badger Watch but Avon Wildlife trust told me they thought it was defunct and the address which led back to the RSPCA was also a dead end.

 After recent badger deaths at one central location it became clear not many people knew about badgers in the City and none, other than some fox feeders who also had badgers on their property, knew of their activity. A dead badger raised alarm calls. A second, which turned out to be the first, started panic talk of a poisoner or disease.

Before we get into any of that let me explain Bristol.

Hanham, Kingswood, Fishponds, Oldbury, Knowle and other areas of the City and County were all once villages -my grandfather, Bill, was born in the village of Hanham just before World War 1 and it was only much later that the extensive rebuilding after WW 2 that a lot of the villages were considered part of the City (Kingswood is in Bristol but due to county boundary changes it is now covered by South Gloucestershire!).

All of these areas that were once countryside villages have maintained green spaces and those are still being fought over to prevent Bristol City Council building on them. Some of the areas are just off the Central Bristol area and badgers have been there...many, many decades despite being surrounded by busy roads.

Most people are shocked that there are "urban badgers" but to be honest they probably had no interest in local wildlife to start with. Whether they see DEFRA (because of culls -though Bristol badgers were innoculated- over TB fears), the snarers, unhinged anti-badger lunatics (oh I have heard of the man wants to kill local badgers and foxes to "Protect my children"!) or badger baiters, those who keep an eye on badgers and their setts do so in as much secrecy as possible to protect them.

In 2021, despite locals in Lockleaze explaining to the council and contractors, right in the middle of breeding season (February to May), badger setts and fox dens, long established, were destroyed. "They'll find somewhere else" is not a justification for what was blatantly a wildlife crime that no one took action over.

Yesterday I was contacted by someone who was observing established badger setts having all ground cover removed which revealed the entrances. I gave advice and asked where the setts were to contact the Avon and Somerset Police wildlife crimes officer -nothing. Today (04 02 2022) I have been told the incident has been reported. However, despite asking again, it seems I am not to be privvy as to "where".  As an update; the person has contacted me and sent photos of the cut back and location and the setts are in a known, established, badger area. 

Above: Badger 1 and badger 2 -actually the same badger that had been moved

The location within Bristol that I am looking at is a huge park. Initially two dead badgers were reported in January but it turns out that someone had moved the dead badger (which no one should do!) and despite people saying they had...no one had reported it to the Council Street Clean team. So just the one. This week a second badger has been found dead and I am now informed that another was reported as being found dead last December.

Is this a normal death rate amongst adult badgers (there are three setts in the area)? What can we do to find out?

Not a lot.

Because of what are seen as the possible biohazard (TB) Health & Safety does not permit post mortem examinations on badgers unless under very specific circumstances. There was to be evidence of some form of wildlife crime or disease and at this point the pathologist would be willing to carry out a PM examinations but outside in his garden due to the possible biohazard.

Badger no. 2 (2022)

Here is where the problems start. Firstly, unlike a dead fox you cannot  simply put it in a black bin liner to transport (Zoe Webber who helps run the Fox Deaths Project is very experienced) to the path lab:

"The bacteriology may be limited but I can do histopathology. The PM will immediately help to rule out RTAs and if I have any suspicion of poisoning I hope NE (Natural England) will accept the samples for toxicology.  Obviously, whoever is collecting the badger should wear a mask, gloves etc and double bag the carcase. Iodophore disinfectant should be used but beware as it stains very easily as it’s iodine based. "

Therefore, if we did have suspicious deaths (say a 4th dead badger at the central location in the next couple of months) it would require someone able to follow procedures and transport any dead badger to the Somerset based pathologist. Could there be a commitment from any members of Bristol's naturalist groups to do this -bear in mind that dead mammals turn up at the most unsocial occasions -bank holidays etc and unlike foxes no lab is going to be willing to handle/chill or freeze a dead badger.

I can record deaths of badgers and that is about it. 

I can be contacted initially on Face Book via the UK National Carnivore Advisory or Bristol Foxes and Badgers pages.

____________________________________________________________________

*addenda to the badger sett destruction noted: "Just had a positive response from (witheld) owners a consortium to stop any developments. He is putting cover back around the set and says will leave alone, seems genuine mistake so give him benifit of doubt.

The British Canid Historical Society and Who We Are

 

I am quite sure that people are asking "Who is running this British Canids Historical Society?" and very likel "How are they qualified?"

For those people here is a little information -BCHS collaborators can be found listed on the page itself.

Firstly, we have the human dynamo and internet whiz...

https://www.blackfoxes.co.uk/

The next member of the trio is yet another female dynamo and naturalist and totally indispensable...

The next member of the BCHS is...me. Looking far more handsome and slimmer in this representation....

I can be found at this blog as well as the At Home With Wild Nature blog https://athomewithwildnature.blogspot.com/

Both Hayley and I contribute articles, news and research update on The Fox Forum

https://onlinefoxforum.wixsite.com/foxes/about

All of the work is paid for "out of pocket" since in the UK there is no funding for most wildlife work. There is a way to donate to help the work continue and, of course, we are always looking out for any unwanted specimens someone might like to donate.

Any questions we have a BCHS Face Book page where we can be contacted.

Trail Cam Roullette

 We are back to that warning about trail cams again.

This month I purchased two -the Xianhu-5

and this piece of junk

Would I recommend them? Absolutely NOT. Two "different manufacturers" and two different cameras.  Both with one fault and that is that they do not take any video footage.

The first type of camera can last around a year if you are lucky. I needed them for field work but I am looking at five of them right now that are in a corner that simply stopped taking images and video with one month or two months. I bought two this month from different Ebay sellers (yes, I know but Amazon has these priced at between £60-90 and other dealers are a little lower but pricey for how unreliable they are) and first one on the first night -nice images -just blank video. 

Instructions in Chinese with nonsensical English. long delay in responding. "We have contacted the Chinese manufacturer...usual rubbish. Eventually return the item. No refund but a replacement non working camera.

Two of the same type of camera from two (I am assuming that it is two seperate companies) and same problem. Faulty. Do not take the risk.

Second more expensive camera: exactly the same problem. Battery changes -nothing. Daylight -no video clips. I contacted the 'UK seller' and it took a long time for to get a reply and they did not understand "The video feature does not work"! So I explained (twice more) then I got the "We have been in touch with the manufacturer in China" (where, luckily, the seller is based -it has a UK warehouse NOT business) and I was sent instructions in Chinese on "what to do" then Chinese and English nonsense instructions. 

Finally I was asked to return the camera so I asked for the return postage to be paid as is stated on the item description. More delays so I send it back to them and tell them its on its way. "How much will it cost?" they asked. I said that it cost me £5.95 as I securely wrapped it. That was it.

A day or so later Ebay sends me a returns label to print out and too late. I have asked the seller if the camera has arrived yet (7 days)...no response.

Am I tempted to buy a more expensive camera? It will have been manufactured in China, too and the problems if you get one not working.... Like I say I have six here that are not working and one I took apart and all the wiring IS connected so the problem obviously is with the manufacturer. Produce cheap rubbish and grab the cash.

 You buy cheap, medium or expensive you get the same design and insides so its a case of trail cam roulette.

British Canid Historical Society

 

The Society believes that a thorough understanding of our relationship with wild canids in the UK both past and present, is vital for the safeguarding of today's ecosystems, ensuring they remain viable for generations to come. 

https://britishcanids.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR2lLETubuldXid7T9mCbaORekLwI75ZTDqEepfBgqQNQqR5ys9jtbmIBhU