Comments On -10 wildlife invaders costing us a fortune – from Japanese knotweed to grey squirrels

 

 Another semi fictional piece of journalism based on no real knowledge just a press hand out https://uk.yahoo.com/style/10-wildlife-invaders-costing-us-162326506.html

I will deal with the relevant points as we go along.  Basically, all of these "problems" are man created so let's get that one out of the way for a start.

Grey squirrels are a familiar sight in the UK, but don’t have many fans - Getty

Invasive alien species are now a £4bn problem in Britain, with more than 2,000 critters and fungi killing trees en masse, causing structural damage to buildings, and prompting clean-up campaigns running into millions of pounds. The extent of the destruction has been revealed in a new report funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which found that the cost of invasive non-native species (INNS) has risen by 135 per cent since 2010.

“We already knew the costs were huge,” says René Eschen, senior scientist at the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) and lead author of the study.

Still, the scale of the findings – which include an average of 12 new species taking root here each year – have come as something of a “surprise”, Eschen admits. The report adds that ‘there remains a significant gap in our understanding of the size and nature of the economic impacts of INNS… and assessment of the costs are needed to prioritise investment in prevention, intervention and management.’

Here are the 10 most damaging species currently plaguing Britain:

Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (ash dieback)

Although there is currently no cure for ash dieback, it is hoped that a small percentage of the UK’s ash trees are genetically resistant to the disease - PA

This tree-killing fungus wasn’t present in Britain at the time of the last report, yet “all of a sudden, it has become by far the most expensive species [where damage is concerned],” Eschen explains. An Asian import that arrived in the UK in 2012, it tallies £883.5m in annual damage (close to four times the second place saboteur) via major clean-up costs around railways, roads, and other public land.

The disease kills 80 per cent of trees infected, with initial signs including blackened or dead leaves, twigs and live shoots acquiring a purple tinge, and diamond-shaped lesions where older branches join the tree’s trunk. There is currently no cure, but it is hoped that between one and five per cent of the UK’s two billion ash trees are genetically resistant to the disease, meaning they could survive and produce dieback-resistant species in the future.

Japanese knotweed

Japanese knotweed needs to be treated by professionals - Getty

Introduced as an ornamental garden plant in the mid-19th century, Japanese knotweed generates around £246.5m of repair work annually, growing through cracks in areas such as pavements, walls and fences, damaging lightweight structures such as garages and conservatories, lifting pipework, and blocking drains. England is the worst affected country in the UK, accounting for over 80 per cent of cases.

One 2012 study found that its presence reduced a property’s price by between 5 and 15 per cent. Spraying or injecting the stems (with approved herbicides) can get rid of the problem, though it typically takes three years to treat, at a cost of £1,000-£5,000 for a domestic garden. However, Government guidance advises that you don’t attempt to treat knotweed yourself unless you have the appropriate skills and experience, as certain chemicals, for example, require a certificate of competence for use.

Rabbits

They might look cute, but rabbits can cause a huge amount of damage to plants, trees and shrubs - The Image Bank RF

The costliest species in 2010 – causing more than £260m a year in damage to crops – Britain’s rabbits are now not quite as costly, according to the latest report, mainly because viral infections have reduced the size of the wild population. But around £170m in damage is still caused by rabbits each year in the UK. Introduced as pets by the Romans 2,000 years ago, their grazing can kill a number of plant species as well as trees and shrubs (if the bark is gnawed).

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) warns that ‘killing rabbits will rarely give more than a short-term reduction in numbers,’ and advises wrapping part-chewed trunks in black polythene to help the area to callus over (along with other rabbit-proofing measures, such as fences), and the use of animal repellents including aluminium ammonium.

Comment: Here we have a problem in that some historians claim that the Normans brought rabbits to the UK in the 11th century. Others argue Roman times. Whichever, after 2000 or 1000 years these are now a native species and to constantly still refer to them as an "invasive species" is  to constantly call yourself a fool. The biggest problem is that feral domestic cats will kill rabbits as a food source. However, the biggest hunter of rabbits is the fox and even in the old records it is noted that foxes would bypass easy to take poultry in order to hunt rabbits and when rabbit numbers decline so do foxes. We also have hawks, buzzards and eagles that will take rabbits.

The common factor between foxes, cats and birds of prey is this: humans kill all of them and when you take out the predator the prey animals increase in numbers -as Australia has found with its idiotic policy of feral cat and fox killing resulting in an explosion in the rodent population (mice and rabbits). One day it may sink in to the thick heads and they will realise that predator = prey ("pest") extermination. Work with nature not make excuses to kill it.

Rats and mice

Rodents cause some £84m of damage in England each year - iStockphoto

Edible dormice (Glis Glis) were brought over by the Rothschilds in the early 1900s, brown rats first came to the UK on boats in the 18th century, while house mice arrived on trading vessels during the Stone Age. These rodents are most commonly found in homes, gardens and woodlands, and can cause major damage, often posing a fire hazard by tearing up drywall and insulation, and exposing and chewing through wires. England’s rodent-related damage is three times higher than the rest of the UK, at a total cost of £84m annually. Pest control is vital here and expense depends on the size of the problem; a rat exterminator call-out starts at around £50.

Comment: Again we have a situation where some facts are off. Why did pre 18th century householders have cats to get rid of rats and mice if the rats never arrived until the 18th century? Again, established species like the rat and mouse are no longer "invasive species". But we have the human created problem handled rather stupidly.

Huge amounts of rodenticide are used officially and stupidly in many cases by house holders who have no idea of what they are doing. Hedgehogs, badgers, foxes, domestic pets and even owls and other birds of prey suffer and die from secondary rodenticide poisoning which, by and large, is not killing off rats or mice.

On farms and in towns and cities the rat and mouse is the common prey for foxes and feral cats as well as owls. In the United States some cities have stopped using rodenticide on rat populations as it is not effective and the secondary dangers are there. How have they started to combat rats? Firstly, urban foxes and in some cases coyotes are taking the rats in numbers. The other method -as in Baltimore and Chicago- is to use feral cats that are caught (those that can be  rehomed are) but too wild are given health checks and vaccinations and then relocated to areas with large rat populations. Apparently it works. Who could have guessed.

Idea: stop killing the very animals and birds that will reduce the rat problem

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are mostly found in commercial premises where food is handled, and can spread disease - Alamy

The two main types of cockroach found in the UK are the German and the Oriental species, which confusingly hail from southeast Asia and the Black Sea respectively. The £70m worth of damage cockroaches inflict on the UK each year is borne by humans, rather than land or property. They are a significant public health risk, carrying diseases such as salmonella, gastroenteritis and dysentery, and are most commonly found in commercial premises where food is handled, mostly restaurants. Pest control, via chemical killers and bait traps, can eradicate the problem.

Deer

Deer can cause significant damage to trees and crops - iStockphoto

Only two of the six species found in the UK are native: the red and roe deer. Fallow, sika, muntjac and Chinese water deer all come from other shores. Deer can cause substantial damage to woodlands via ‘fraying’ – where males rub bark from the main stem of a tree, leaving it in tatters – ‘thrashing’ (males whipping low branches with their antlers), and ‘browsing,’ when they cause damage to tips and shoots while feeding. Their eating and trampling through crops is especially expensive in the east and south west of England (where cereal crops are planted), with the total annual destruction coming in at £63m. For domestic land, the RHS recommends netting or high fences. As many as 350,000 deer are culled each year on private land.

Comment: Yes, allegedly (no one officially monitors this so let's say that some figures can be "padded out" by certain people). It is also interesting that deer are killed on land where there are no crops. In the past in conversations with estate owners and managers I was told that game keepers are told to shoot any deer -just as they are told to shoot red squirrels and "dispose of badgers on the quiet".

Deer in some parts of the UK were hunted to extinction along with other species and the solution, as always, was to import more from Europe so that hunting could continue. "Officially" there is no UK predator to take down deer although police, farmers and others will note that deer are found that have been taken down by large cats (such as puma and lynx that are in the UK and that is known officially -see Red Paper 2022:Felids).

"Management" of deer, or as they like to call it "harvesting" need not involve killing even if that spoils some persons' 'fun'.  

The number of deer species imported into the UK by landed gentry to fill their private menageries and estate grounds where they roamed freely hit a peak in the 17th century and even some dates for when muntjac deer were first introduced are a tad "off". Again, these are all human created problems and we now have to live alongside the various species and bad land management does not help -looking at fencing, etc as employed in Europe is a viable option although killing being 'fun' it seems preferred to spending money to protect "valuable crops".

Grey squirrel

Britain’s grey squirrels could be subjected to birth control on public land, according to the Squirrel Accord - iStockphoto

In 1876, grey squirrels were brought to Britain from North America as an ornamental species to populate the grounds of stately homes. By 1930, however, the level of damage they wreaked – including stripping bark from trees, creating ‘open wounds,’ and destroying maize and fruit crops – was identified, and the practice swiftly stopped. Previously described by conservationist and broadcaster Chris Packham as Britain’s “most unpopular non-native invader,” the population – and the havoc it causes – is most pronounced in England (though Northern Ireland sees double the cost of the damage carried out in Wales and Scotland). The CABI study puts the total bill at £40.5m, though a 2021 report from the Royal Forestry Society warned that disturbed timber, lost carbon revenue and tree replacement will cause £1.1bn in costs over the next 40 years. In the garden, squirrels can be deterred by artificial birds of prey, like owls and falcons, and the damage they do managed by caging fruit trees and pots. For public land, there is a Squirrel Accord, made up of 41 leading conservation and forestry organisations, government agencies and companies, which is considering various measures, such as birth control.

Comment: 1876? That is way off. Grey squirrels were in private collections well before that time and far from having very few "fans" the grey squirrel is quite popular although they can cause damage they are, after all of this time, a native species and there are some 'facts' that need noting.

The Grey is often cited as the squirrel that killed off Red squirrels. This is nonsense and, again, humans trying to find another scape goat. By the 1860s humans and hunting had wiped out the Old British red squirrel. More were imported. Killed o0ff more were imported and some of these imports may have carried diseases and red squirrels have faced and still face extinction. The Grey moved in to towns and cities where it was adaptable enough to live -the Red squirrels having been poisoned, shot or snared out of existence.

Grey squirrels "kill and eat young birds and destroy birds eggs". This is one that the bird watching fraternity loves to throw out as a reason why Greys should be exterminated while the "lovely" Red squirrel should be preserved. Red squirrels have the same dietary habits as Greys and will rob birds nests the same way the Grey does. 

The Red squirrel is, even as a 'protected species' (which means nothing on the Blood Island) , trapped and shot on private estates and in forestry for damaging tree bark, etc. as the trees are "commercial" and therefore of  far more importance and value than wiping out another species. 

And don't think badgers are not killed on private estates along with birds of prey.

Varroa mite

We all know the importance of honey bees, but it seems the varroa mite didn't read the email - Alamy

Infestations of varroa mites, originally found in eastern honey bees in Asia, deplete bee populations, which costs the UK £22.5m each year. When the mites attach themselves to bees, their foraging performance is much reduced, meaning they can’t help to pollinate the 70 species we rely on them for, for food. They can also cause the entire breakdown, and death, of bee colonies. (An infestation last year triggered a bee lockdown in New South Wales, Australia, during which time no honey bees could be moved across the state.)

Monitoring hives, buying mite-resistant honey bee stock, installing small-cell honeycombs (in which it is thought mites struggle to reproduce) or introducing brood breaks (where there are no babies in the nest) can help to clear out early-stage infestations.

Box tree moth

London is particularly prone to box tree moths and their voracious appetite - iStockphoto

Accidentally introduced to the UK from southeast Asia, box tree moths can rapidly overwhelm hedges, eating the plants and leaving a brown skeleton in their wake. Capable of laying hundreds of eggs (larvae) when they find a bush, swathes of caterpillars then chomp at their new environment – a £15.4m defoliation issue that is especially bad in London. Checking box plants often from early spring can prevent the population from growing, according to the RHS; pheromone traps and pesticides may prove necessary for infestation control.

Green spruce aphid

It is possible to treat green spruce aphids with pesticides, says the RHS - Alamy

Native to continental Europe, the green spruce aphid (or elatobium abietinum) is a sap-sucking insect that takes to spruce trees during late autumn to spring, causing discolouration and needle loss. This reduction in needles affects the volume of timber trees produce. Treatment to curb this £14.5m desecration isn’t possible with larger trees (as the whole thing must be treated), but for smaller plants, pesticides should be used in late August or September, according to the RHS, “with a further treatment on a mild, dry day in early February.”

Five species that could be next to invade our shores

Asian hornet

Don’t have nightmares... - iStockphoto

Of the 19 alerts issued by the Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS), the vespa velutina is the biggest potential threat to Britain, capable of killing off insects like honeybees (thereby damaging other native species). They spread rapidly in France in 2004, and a number of sightings have been recorded in the UK since 2016. Vigilance is strongly encouraged around major ports in southern parts of England and Wales, particularly during April to November when they are most active (they peak in August/September).

Water primrose

Despite its benign appearance, the water primrose can raise the risk of flooding - iStockphoto

South Africa’s native ludwigia grandiflora has been found in some parts of England and Wales. Having already become a serious pest in countries such as France, where it causes a reduction in native species in water, it also raises the risk of flooding.

Purple pitcher plant

This bog-dwelling visitor from North America has been found growing wild in England and Scotland - iStockphoto

The carnivorous sarracenia purpurea is a bog-dwelling plant native to north America, where “it outcompetes native bog vegetation, may impact on invertebrate communities, and disrupts [the nutrient cycle],” according to the NNSS. Twenty suspected sites where it is growing have been found in England, along with two in Scotland.

American lobster

Our native lobsters could be at risk from these invaders - Alamy

These US and Canadian imports could harm UK lobster stocks, say the NNSS, by carrying disease, competing for resources, and interbreeding. UK guidance is to record suspected sightings of the homarus americanus, and retain them for collection from the Marine Management Organisation.

Carolina fanwort

These aquatic plants could post a threat to our native species - Alamy

A few populations of the cabomba caroliniana, originally found in South America and southern parts of North America, have made it to south east England. While these have yet to become invasive due to the climate, the NNSS warns that they could have “potentially large impacts on native aquatic communities and may also affect aquaculture, damage equipment, and impede recreational activities.”

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One has to wonder who is furnishing all the estimates of damage since in the past some data has come through members of pro hunting groups such as the Countryside Alliance and the Game & Wildlife 'Conservation' Trust (the latter despite its name is a pro hunting group) as well as big pest control companies. All of these, obviously, have a vested and biased interest in exaggerating damage and animal numbers.

Invasive plants can be a great problem but here we can look at native plants that are seen as dangerous https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wild-plants-dangerous-invasive-and-protected-species According to DEFRA: "Common ragwort (Senecio jacobae) - the most dangerous injurious weed, and the most commonly reported." And yet, on three occasions I reported a wide area of ragwort to the local environmental office and was told to "report it to the land owner"!!  Reported on other occasions as being in gardens people were told to put on gloves, dig the ragwort up and burn it. The attitude always seems to be "Yeah, your problem not ours" and these are the people responsible for monitoring and dealing with invasive plant species??

Interestingly, back in 1997 I had a man from the local DEFRA turn up on my doorstep along with a colleague (the quiet type who was obviously there "in case of trouble") and informed me that a colleague of his had twice passed my garden and noted that I had an "invasive species" plant that was out of control and he was there to issue me with a warning that they intended to have the plant removed and destroyed and he was there to check it. Apparently, the "invasive plant" were my willow hedge that I was allowing to grow out more as there were nesting birds. No apology although I did recommend a good book on plants and shrubs for his colleague.

Plants aside, we need to start realising that we are in the 21st century and not the 19th. We are in a period where habitat and environmental destruction are so common most people just ignore it. A "nation of animal lovers" is a falsehood. The UK is almost as destructive ("to protect wildlife" of course) as Australia. It is Blood Island pure and simple and in 20-25 years time badgers and foxes as well as other species will be a thing of the past or extremely rare. Badgers are already being "culled" and killed by cars in numbers that may well see a sustainable population a thing of the past and foxes are declining in numbers.

Until the UK has a government with real interest in conserving nature, protecting wildlife and the environment the future is bleak.

No Joke: Rare pink grasshopper spotted in garden

 

Eleri Griffiths

BBC Wales News

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czknv1233dko

Published
3 July 2023

An amateur photographer was stunned after he spotted a rare pink grasshopper at the bottom of his garden.

Gary Phillips, 65, was pruning his dahlias in Llandegfan, Anglesey, when he was shocked by the "vivid colour" of the insect.

"I'd never heard of them," said Mr Phillips, who then crawled across his garden with his camera to snap some pics.

Some experts have suggested people have only about a 1% chance of seeing a pink grasshopper in their lifetime.

"I had to proper focus on what I'd seen, and realised it was a pink grasshopper which I thought has got to be rare," Mr Phillips added.

Despite its small size, the hot pink of the grasshopper stood out and Mr Phillips was captivated, watching it hop across his lawn.

The green meadow grasshopper species is common across the UK, however - as the name suggests - these are generally green, brown or a combination of the two.

It is believed on rare occasions, a genetic mutation causes them to turn pink.

This makes seeing them even rarer again, as their bright colours mean they are unable to hide from predators and do not survive very long.

Paul Hetherington, of conservation charity Buglife,, external said the pink grasshopper's colour is caused by a recessive gene that can be passed through successive generations.

It is known as erythrism, which causes too much red pigment and not enough black.

He explained that being pink in the wild is "not useful" for the insect as they stand out from the green grass.

'Just wonderful'

However, in the summer months, when the grass changes colour, it increases their survival chances as they are less noticeable.

While some experts have tried to describe how rare they are by saying people have a 1% chance of encountering them, Mr Hetherington said this is only true if you're not actively looking.

"If you look closely for them in any meadow, the chances of seeing them are actually very high," he said, adding that he has in fact seen three himself.

"It's amazing to see the beauty of the creatures being appreciated," he added.

"They are just wonderful."

Polecat: the ‘bandit-like’ predator once hunted as vermin in England

 You see -people are catching up with the UKs bloody past...and realising the modern dangers

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/polecat-bandit-predator-once-hunted-050024900.html

Photograph: Colin Varndell/Alamy

One duty of churchwardens in the 17th and 18th centuries was paying bounties for exterminating the local wildlife – killing species that were considered vermin. In those days these local worthies were also the local government, mending roads and bridges and looking after the poor – so the task was more part of a national war on nature than a religious duty.

In Wing, a village in Buckinghamshire, the churchwardens listed buzzards, hedgehogs, kites, polecats, starlings, stoats, weasels, and sparrows in their annual accounts, all of which had merited payouts for the hunters because they had been slaughtered. And yet, surprisingly these “vermin” species – except kites and polecats – seemed to have clung on in the area. And now even those two are in resurgence; kites returned 20 years ago via a reintroduction programme and now polecats, Mustela putorius, have arrived on their own; spreading back from Wales where they managed to survive. Like other predators they eat species we value – frogs, rabbits and birds – but in winter they also eat a lot of rats. Polecats, which have distinctive banded facial markings likened to a bandit’s mask, are now a protected species and considered a valuable part of the countryside ecology.

This is the time of year when their litters of five to 10 young are beginning to spread out to find new territories. Their worst enemy now is the motorcar, rather than the churchwarden.

Just As Though To Prove My Point About The UK and Habitat Destruction

Yet another millionaire shows that they feel destruction of habitat and the environment is of no concern because...they are rich. See the previous example of not giving a damn here: https://athomewithwildnature.blogspot.com/2023/04/farmer-jailed-and-ordered-to-pay-12.html

 Henry Bodkin

Mon, 3 July 2023 at 7:00 am BST

https://uk.yahoo.com/style/millionaire-founder-cake-box-cut-060000897.html

Sukh Chamdal pleaded not guilty in court last month

The millionaire founder of one of Britain’s fastest-growing food companies is being prosecuted over the felling of dozens of protected trees.

The Telegraph can reveal that Sukh Chamdal, the founder of the egg-free confectionery business Cake Box, is accused of causing or allowing the felling of at least 132 trees in woodland at Debden Hall, Essex.

The works were understood to be part of a grand project to build a new mansion for the chief executive in Loughton, near Epping Forest.

Mr Chamdal, who appeared alongside four other defendants, pleaded not guilty at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on June 22. He will return there later this month.

Cake Box was established in 2008 and is highly popular with vegans, as well as certain religious groups.

It had 205 stores as of March, posting £34.8 million in revenue and a gross profit of £17.2 million, up 8.5 per cent on the previous year.

The criminal prosecution of its boss could prove a serious embarrassment to the board.

Normally, those convicted of breaching a Tree Preservation Order in the magistrates’ court face a fine of up to £20,000.

However, those found guilty in the Crown Court are liable to an unlimited fine.

The work in question took place between March 1 and 18 2021, according to Epping Forest District Council, which is bringing the prosecution.

Planning documents and architectural plans for the site indicated a plan to demolish an existing building and create a new property of nearly 9,000 square feet.

DEFRA has a page on the matter

 

I see videos from people in the United States, Europe and even Australia and Hong Kong where people are as happy as they can be that they have a wild bird nesting on or in a part of their home.

So why is it a "Nation of animal lovers" constantly want to destroy or get rid of nesting birds or fox dens and badger setts. I get involved in this all the time as people seem to think I am going to go ahead and say "Yeah. Sure. Smash it up!" rather than explain to them what the law is. Or even give them "options". No. The law is the law and wildlife destruction by humans has already taken its toll so if these people cannot live with nesting birds o0r a fox with cubs until they move on...may they ought to move themselves?

It honestly pisses me off that humans are killing deer on the roads as well as foxes and badgers and other wildlife in the thousands every year. People on wildlife groups (who should be kicked off of them) talk about "getting in the magpie catcher" (who kills magpies) because they do not like the noise of magpies or a magpie has taken a chick from a "prettier bird" nest. "How do I kill moles?" -asking that on a wildlife group should also get you kicked off for life.

My message to the morons is this: wildlife is far more important than you so learn to live with it and learn about the animal/bird that you want to destroy.

A lot more people seem to be complaining this year about wild birds nesting around or in their; there are laws and for birds DEFRA has a page on the matter

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wild-birds-protection-surveys-and-licences

UK Wildlife and Saving it... We Might as well Shrug and Give Up?

 I really do feel I am getting too old fort all of this. Fox research seems so much easier. On Face Book Ju Pepp on the Friends of Western Slopes wrote:

"Let’s give our otters of the slopes safe passage" followed by the news item )see below)

My reply:

Its seriously not just otters either.

As the British Fox Study I set up the Bristol Fox Deaths Register so people could report dead foxes within Bristol and running the Bristol Badger Group I set up similar. Remembering that these are ONLY the reported foxes for 2023 up to 2nd July there have been 151 dead foxes/cubs.

Badgers 31.

Luckily I do not record deer and other animals. We really need to take an example from Europe where walkways over or under roads are created for wildlife.

However, who will pay for it? Local authorities do not care because they don't worry about wildlife just the money side.

Government? We have a major pro hunt Conservative government that is overseeing the mass culling of badgers (a 'protected' species) over very bad science.

It really needs a big discussion and all persons interested in the Bristol area to take part and pull in local councillors and MPs.

Until everyone can agree that we need to save the vast number of mammals killed on our roads we will just keep seeing the losses..

Ju Pepp responded:

"genuine question…do you think a walkway could be done over the HW?"

My response:

"You'd need to look a6 where the main points of Hartcliffe Way are that otters are getting killed but the first objection would be "traffic hold-ups" (irony there). I think under passes for wildlife is more feasible amd probably cheaper and if the roadside has fencing to prevent otters or other animals killed there running into the road they will find the underpasses. This is why there needs to be serious consultation and study."

The response was: " interesting…I wonder if we could fundraise…"

The news item:

Campaign to save otters being killed when forced to cross busy Bristol road

Tristan Cork

The otter is the face of Bristol's new litter campaign but in South Bristol the real ones are getting killed

An environmental campaigner has asked Bristol City Council to consider moving or replacing a huge metal grill that was installed to stop flooding in South Bristol, but could be inadvertently wiping out the area’s fledgling population of otters.

The giant grill system completely covers the Pigeonhouse Stream as it enters a tunnel under Hartcliffe Way, the main road that connects Bedminster and Hartcliffe. It was installed to stop the tunnel getting clogged up with abandoned supermarket trolleys and other detritus that was stopping the flow of the river so much that it was backing up and flooding roads and homes at the top of Crox Bottom in Hartcliffe.

But since then, otters have been found living in the wildlife haven created by the Pigeonhouse Stream at the Crox Bottom nature reserve - only for at least two to be killed crossing the road 

Now, environmental campaigner Vassili Papastavrou has submitted a question for July’s council meeting, asking the Mayor to look into it, after Bristol Live’s inquiries found both Bristol City Council and the Environment Agency said the other was responsible for the issue.

Otters were found in Crox Bottom in a discovery that surprised experts in South Bristol, because of the isolated nature of the river there. But since that discovery, two have been killed on Hartcliffe Way, and it became clear that the otters were crossing the road rather than accessing the tunnel to go between the Western Slopes and Crox Bottom.

Mr Papstavrou is calling on the council to take ownership of the problem, and review whether the grill can be replaced. “It has become apparent that the grill on Pigeon House Stream was too fine to allow an otter to pass through it in order to travel under the road,” he said.

“I have since found an example of an Environment Agency grill in Mousehole with a much greater width between the bars which would allow otters to pass. It is unlikely that Pigeon House stream grill is owned or installed by the Environment Agency as there is no sign stating this so it is likely to be owned by BCC.

“Despite the disturbing deaths of these two otters, and several requests by a number of people including me, nothing has been done in the last six months to address the problem. The current harbourside litter bin campaign states that BCC likes otters but clearly practical measures are needed beyond photos on bins,” he added.

“Can the Mayor now take tangible steps to address mortality of otters on Hartcliffe Way? This may include adjusting the grill on Pigeon House Stream in order that otters can pass under the road and otter fencing to prevent the passage of otters across the road,” he added.

The Mayor is expected to respond to the formal question in the week before July’s full council meeting.

When asked by Bristol Live about the screen, Bristol City Council said it was the Environment Agency's responsibility. "It is the Environment Agency who need contacting as it's not a flood risk or a highways issue," a spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said the screen was not one of theirs. "Many culverted watercourses across Bristol rely on trash screens to prevent blockages which could jeopardise people and property due to flood risk," a spokesperson for the Environment Agency South West said. "This screen is not owned or used by us, but flood risk authorities who manage such assets are mindful of issues like this," they added.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/campaign-save-otters-being-killed-8566222?fbclid=IwAR3vy9sZ5X0GsThSfyAIM_Bl0ZJbTog1qxjIYcll0mhF_H4uHRsxeEHOwqA#ljlolgw5aa64z0mbn6q

The problem is that no one in authority really cares. A few wild animals are killed on the road, so what? Put the time and effort into an official proposal to make a wildlife underpass or overpass? Before even seriously looking at the cost (unless that is likely to end the matter quickly) of such wildlife corridors there will be other objections: road work would hold up, delay traffic or call for it to be diverted and from that they can push out as many excuses for not carrying out the work as possible.

However, first you have to find the right person and in the right government body to look at the matter. I can tell the reader that after over 40 years of wildlife work I have never been surprised at the way one person can say "contact ---- it's their responsibility" and that person will then deny it is their responsibility but they will forward the matter to someone else. The hope is that you give up hope and drop the matter before they have to be rude and say "I think we've gone as far as we can on this matter. Goodbye"

In 2022 I tried several government bodies as well as Bristol City Council animal welfare about the admitted use of electrical fencing and other devices in an area of Bristol (Staple Hill) to keep otters away from koi carp in garden ponds. After 4 months I still had no answer as to the legality of these electrical devices and eventually I was told my message would be forwarded to another person who would be aware of legislation on the matter. Despite emailing that person three times...no response.

You see I do not just spend my time on sick, injured or dead foxes and their welfare. In fact there is a perfect example of how situations are dealt with there. Bristol City Council in 2021 was all for cooperating on fox deaths (I won't bore with the story again) in the City. However, first mention of rodenticide and secondary poisoning and everything stopped (even though we have only ever had one case of secondary rodenticide poisoning). Everyone stopped responding to calls and emails and everyone denied ever knowing about the subject despite me having all the emails and names. Total no longer responding to calls and emails -what can you do?

Also there were people at Council owned allotments who were concerned that some allotment holders were putting down rodenticide and some hedgehogs had succumbed and it was suspected at least one fox had. They both got the run around and so I got involved. Then came the official reply telling myself and the two original reportees that the matter had now been put into the hands of two council officials who would take "sole control of the matter". But no contact numbers were given and the original reportees were getting nowhere. When I tried I was aske4d who gave me the names as they did not seem to be on any council list. The person I spoke to phoned around quickly but came back with "no one has ever heard of those names before". Total stonewall -the people using the poison on 'rigorously controlled' council allotments carried on.

All of this from a council shouting out loud that it was fighting environmental destruction and declaring itself wildlife friendly. None of the above involved spending any money so what chance would we stand asking for a wildlife walk over or walk under corridor?

Raising funds privately for any wildlife issue is, I know (I really know) impossible. The UK is not a land of animal lovers and unlike Europe the UK is lagging in the dark ages when it comes to wildlife. All these animals get killed off -"We can always reintroduce more" which is the old British solution to extirpated wildlife.

What is the solution? In all honesty I have no idea. The logical thing to do is build safe routes for wildlife but we are not talking about people who think logically but more financially and money is the main thing. So why cause road disruption for a few animals?

It really needs serious discussion as I wrote earlier. Local MPs and councillors not just attending to get a few votes but who will push to help preserve wildlife as best we can and try to get the funds to carry out the necessary work. We can write (I have stumpy fingers now) or phone as much as we want but it takes official backing and money to achieve the goals and at the moment the main fight is concentrated on Bristol's green spaces that developers and the council seem determined to build on.

I wrote that the UK when it comes to wildlife was stuck in the dark ages. In fact the stone age would be more accurate. We need younger and very energetic people to keep pushing and campaigning otherwise we might as well just shrug and give up.

Hedgehogs: Do We Know the REAL Killers?

  Mammal Society page ("Saving Britain's Wildlife") carried a post about hedgehogs, foxes and badgers and here are some quotes.

Hedgehogs: predators and the truths behind their decline

26th June 2023

The interactions between hedgehogs, badgers and foxes are essential processes in sustainable functioning Earth systems, wrongly portrayed as victims and demons, explains Elspeth Stirling.

 https://www.mammal.org.uk/2023/06/hedgehogs-predators-and-the-truths-behind-their-decline/?fbclid=IwAR3C9HrusTzsRbFDmJsznxAp-2caARsu_NKYnRYZm3rJmgHlQ4LZOSBKnrc

If you look at farming websites you find that foxes and badgers are the most frequently mentioned factor in opinions about lamb losses, despite field and forensic studies spanning the last 40 years consistently demonstrating that in under 2% of lamb deaths a wild predator may be a contributing factor (although not necessarily the significant factor)

Response: Some official figures state 1% and in these cases no lambs were seen killed by foxes but the biggest cause of lamb death was bad animal husbandry which, naturally, farmers are not going to accept. Naturalists in the 19th and 20th century observing foxes in a filed of sheep noted the foxes were eating the rich afterbirth as well as nutrient rich sheep droppings. Even dead lambs were not necessarily touch by foxes though a free meal is a free meal.

Roads and traffic – estimates indicate that over 167,000 hedgehogs are killed annually in Great Britain, and it is ‘unlikely that this level of mortality is sustainable’

Response: I once kept records of dead hedgehogs I saw on roads around the area where I live.  I eventually gave up as there were so many and absolutely nothing I could do about it or get done about it.  Drivers are drivers and basically most do not give a crap if they hit a pet cat so what is a hedgehog to them?  And I suspect that road deaths may be far higher in towns and cities.

(c)2023 Vale Wildlife Group

The conditions hedgehogs rely on for life are vanishing and it’s down to human practices.

It’s a tragedy when a hedgehog dies – but they’re the victims of land management practices that push wildlife aside. People have killed foxes, badgers and small wild mammals for centuries, although this has failed to achieve any lasting improvements in the perceived harms. If the problem is that the remnant hedgehog population is at a tipping point, then the approach is to focus on reviving the natural conditions that will support their revival and maintain the population naturally without requiring artificial inputs.

Response: Humans have always been the biggest contributing factor to species decline or extinction.  What do we do if we find orphaned hoglets?  Well, during the 1990s and early to mid 2000s the Bristol RSPCA centre refused to take them in when found. My neighbour quite clearly explained to the RSPCA that the sow was dead on the road so was not "going to return" as they suggested to her -and to me when I followed up for her. I was told quite clearly: "We do not have the space, staff or time to look after them. If they are brought in we would put them to sleep. Put them back and let nature take its course".

Thankfully more and more hedgehog rescues have emerged as well as wildlife rescues that deserve far more financial support. Now, of course, with the hedgehog in such massive decline people take some notice. 

(c)2023 British Fox Study

Here is something people do not know: for centuries right up into the 20th century bounties were paid for each hedgehog killed (rather as bounties were paid to exterminate British foxes -which they did by the 1860s- wild cats and badgers -the wild cats were exterminated and the reason badgers survived would shock quite a few people). Yes, "the gardeners friend" was deliberately killed mainly in the country to preserve the eggs of ground nesting game birds and in town...probably just because they were there.  At the same time poisons of all sorts were put on gardens from slug pellets to worse. 

Humans have killed hedgehogs in the millions over the centuries and, yes, people are still doing it now and snaring and illegal traps are taking their toll "out of sight" and game keepers are still killing them.  Then again, the badger is a "protected species" and survived centuries of decimation to now be driven to the verge of extinction legally,

Rather like foxes and badgers that are declining at a scary rate in the UK countryside it is very likely that in 20 years time the only badgers, foxes and hedgehogs to be seen will be urban ones,  Foxes kill hedgehogs? I have plenty of first hand observations as well as photographs and video footage of foxes and hedgehogs totally ignoring each other as the eat with inches of each other and the only aggression noted came from the hedgehogs!  I have seen similar with badgers and hedgehogs and in urban areas the reason there is no badger predation of hedgehogs may well be down to the fact that there are feeders. Why chase after something when you can get a full feed just by turning up -even then looking for worms and other insects seems more important than the spiky little thing.

(c)2023 Time Out With Nature

In the countryside a really hungry badger or fox may well kill a hedgehog in desperation. However, even here there are other resources. At one badger sett a badger was seen on several occasions carrying back a dead rabbit. The initial thought was that the rabbits were shot and left for wildlife to dispose of, however, it turned out that there was a road close by and the rabbits were killed by cars racing along it.

In the 1860s we lost the Old British foxes, the wild cat, the Old red squirrel and many more species (the 19th century is seen as the "Golden Age of Hunting" when every and anything (not kidding) was perfect to snare, shoot, poison and hunt with dog packs. Of course, these losses were "replaced" by imports from Europe to "continue the sport".

It is important that we understand what is killing off wildlife and habitats. We saw the badger blamed for hedgehog decline.. Then we judged to foxes killing off hedgehogs. Both blamed for the hunting agenda or by people or organisations not wanting to accept that humans were the greatest (in many places only) culprits.  It is why dogma regarding wildlife continues because the truth is too harsh for "a nation of animal lovers" -a myth in itself.

Please read the article by Stirling but always bear in mind that humans always love to find a scapegoat.