Why so many dead badgers on the road?
Discussion
the sets are usually close to roads, and badgers follow paths/set routs and maybe hundreds of years old, and roads now built over them. they are creatures of habit.
you know the sad thing is if more animal tunnels where built it would stop deaths, or controlled crossing points, using fences to funnel animals, but we live in a world that cares more about money than the planet.
you know the sad thing is if more animal tunnels where built it would stop deaths, or controlled crossing points, using fences to funnel animals, but we live in a world that cares more about money than the planet.
Edited by The Spruce goose on Saturday 22 April 20:39
mikees said:
A lot look very intact. I did wonder if something sinister was afoot? ( dons tinfoil hat)
M
you see more because basically they don't adpat well. where i drive i see deers, not as much as they used to be, but they have done things to reduce deers deaths, i guess they are worth more.M
Equus said:
It's not unusual for farmers to illegally shoot or gas them, then dump the bodies on the road as a means of disposing of them.
gas the sett, dig the dead badger up and place on the road sounds like the most fanciful thing known to man. they gas the sett and dig it over if that, it would make sense to leave the sett, if they shoot they would bury.if they did any of this they would be very stupid.
Edited by The Spruce goose on Saturday 22 April 21:19
Equus said:
mikees said:
A lot look very intact. I did wonder if something sinister was afoot? ( dons tinfoil hat)
It's not unusual for farmers to illegally shoot or gas them, then dump the bodies on the road as a means of disposing of them.The Spruce goose said:
gas the sett, dig the dead badger up and place on the road sounds like the most fanciful thing known to man. they gas the sett and dig it over if that, it would make sense to leave the sett, if they shoot they would bury.
if they did any of this they would be very stupid.
I know for a personal, first-hand fact that it happens, none the less. if they did any of this they would be very stupid.
You don't dig over a sett and leave dead badgers in it on your land - you're likely to get reported by walkers who know the sett was there. You dig out and remove the badgers, then dig over the sett to destroy it. If you're ever over in Gloucestershire, I can show you the location of several setts where it's happened.
But yes, shooting is more common. Same principle, though - you don't leave dead badgers on your land to draw attention. Easiest way is to chuck them on the roadside 5 miles away, to look like roadkill.
A few years ago I often had to drive from British West Oxfordshire to Birmingham Airport first thing on Monday mornings. I preferred a cross-country route rather than the motorways. But what perplexed me was the number of dead badgers I would see.
I mentioned this to a colleague, who was an ex-copper. He told me that the reason was often that low-lifes who were involved in badger-baiting with their 'dags' for money would hold their illegal 'sport' at weekends, then dump the carcasses on a road to make it look like the animals had been involved in road accidents....
I mentioned this to a colleague, who was an ex-copper. He told me that the reason was often that low-lifes who were involved in badger-baiting with their 'dags' for money would hold their illegal 'sport' at weekends, then dump the carcasses on a road to make it look like the animals had been involved in road accidents....
^^^ Yep, I have no doubt that this happens, too.
Having also seen the outcome when a car strikes any more than a glancing blow against a badger, you'd see a lot more pieces of broken car accompanying the carcasses, if they were all roadkill. I had a mate who almost wrote off a new RX8 when they first came out, hitting a badger. It didn't do the badger much good, either, mind.
Having also seen the outcome when a car strikes any more than a glancing blow against a badger, you'd see a lot more pieces of broken car accompanying the carcasses, if they were all roadkill. I had a mate who almost wrote off a new RX8 when they first came out, hitting a badger. It didn't do the badger much good, either, mind.
On one housing development we did in Gloucestershire, it cost us an absurd amount of money (I can't remember if it was £25K or £35K total) to build an artificial sett, tempt Mr Brock into regularly using it by means of laying peanut butter trails from the existing sett, then closing the old set (you basically fit a 'turnstile' to the exit when they have started using the artificial sett, so that they are locked out of their old home).
...all a matter of weeks before every badger that moved in Gloucestershire was shot in the trial TB cull.
...all a matter of weeks before every badger that moved in Gloucestershire was shot in the trial TB cull.
If it is big and has teeth, you can bet the British will try to kill it. Large bears and medium wolves / lynx went first. They're still working on Scottish wildcats and badgers.
As above, a lot of the roadside badger deaths are ones that have been killed and dumped by farmers, gamekeepers or illegal hunters.
As above, a lot of the roadside badger deaths are ones that have been killed and dumped by farmers, gamekeepers or illegal hunters.
Yipper said:
If it is big and has teeth, you can bet the British will try to kill it. Large bears and medium wolves / lynx went first. They're still working on Scottish wildcats and badgers.
As above, a lot of the roadside badger deaths are ones that have been killed and dumped by farmers, gamekeepers or illegal hunters.
And the vast majority have been hit by cars.As above, a lot of the roadside badger deaths are ones that have been killed and dumped by farmers, gamekeepers or illegal hunters.
Ever since badgers became protected by law their population has increased every year , the population has at least doubled in 25 years since they became a protected species. There are estimated to be at least 400000 in England though there may be as many as three times that figure.
Lots of live badgers mean that you get lots of dead ones on the roads.
Lots of live badgers mean that you get lots of dead ones on the roads.
Willy Nilly said:
I never understand why they are so heavily protected. I'm not saying they should be killed for the sake of it, but they do a lot of damage to fields and we then have to work around the t
tting things, lest we upset them. This is ignoring TB of course.
i'm sure you know what an eco system is, well they are a part of it. They control vermin amongst other things, it is complex no one can truly understand but it has taken 1000's of years to find a constant feedback loop with the environment.tting things, lest we upset them. This is ignoring TB of course. they are protected in the same light as the jungles, as if the farmers had there way they would eradicate both for more profit.
tb can be eradicated from badgers.t it would cost 600 quid, it is cheaper to slaughter them.
Edited by The Spruce goose on Monday 24th April 14:05
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