PLEASE Do Not

 I know it never sinks in and people are still going to do this but we've had a fox die because one of these deflated balloons fell into woods. Booze and "**** you!" attitudes never change.

Question: "our fox numbers are declining?" Short Answer: Badgers and Foxes Extinction Date 2030s

It was a question deserving a response:

 "...I recall very few dead foxes apart from the one I reported yesterday but many more badgers, does this tell us our fox numbers are declining , similar to hedgehogs?"

This is my expanded  response:

 The fox population has been in decline for a very long time. 

We had three distinct looking Old British foxes in the UK -adaptions to their habitats; the large mountain or greyhound fox, the Hill fox or mastiff fox which was large and muscular and the Common or cur fox that lived near human habitation. These were wiped out by hunting c 1860s after knowing for decades they were dying out. Possibly as far back as the 17th/16th century foxes were imported from Europe and by the 1800s these numbered 2000+ every year. 

These New British (red) foxes were hunted until they were wiped out or near to it and then more were imported (and that's how we got mange in the UK). 

There have been a few near extinctions of these New foxes because if a "hunting country" found that it had one fox with mange every fox was killed down to the cubs -just buy in more. Foxes were allowed to live in artificial culverts/dens until they knew the land and were fit and healthy and mange made for bad sport.

Cubbing involved letting the hounds kill more or less trapped cubs to get them ready for the hunt season and vixens and dog foxes were also killed. The horror stories I will not go into here.

Unfortunately the diminished brain capacity of hunt masters meant that they could not understand this; if you kill off a breeding pair -they cannot produce any young and if you kill the young there are no foxes growing up and breeding -everyone and everything was to blame but the hunts. They put that in writing, too.

There is enough anecdotal evidence to show that fox numbers were declining before World War 1 and the pro hunt propaganda is that this increased the fox population as there had been no 'fox control' (sport) but  there was; with anyone who got the chance killing foxes and this showed because after the war many hunts found that it was hard to find foxes to hunt (so what happened to the uncontrolled breeding?).

 Then in 1923 there was The Great Scarcity and foxes were hard to find but they still killed off any they could. and even captive breeding was not increasing numbers and World War 2 still saw hunting despite all you might read. Officers and lo0cal squires and the Old Boys Network meant some 'jollies' at weekends. And even after all the devastation of World War 2 the British Army had officers still wanting some 'fun'. The war over and Britain's officer class were keen to return to "recreational normality" in occupied West Germany by chasing foxes across the countryside but it was Winston Churchill, once again Tory prime minister, who spoiled their equestrian pursuits  not being a fan of the fox hunt.

By the 1950s the foxes were declining more and evidence suggests that hunts were "topping up" their number of foxes killed to show that they were really doing a jolly good job of what they had started calling "pest control" decades before when the anti fox hunt movement had taken hold people had gotten to be less respectful to hunt masters band hunts -and prosecutions were carried out for damage and pets/live stock killed.

In the early 1950s even more foxes were dying off in the SE and possibly elsewhere and it was thought (introduced) myxomatosis killing off the foxes main food (rabbits) was to blame but that seems odd. foxes may have rabbit at the top of its menu but it also eats fruit and vegetables as well as insects and amphibians.  To me there was more to this episode that "devastated" the fox population.  However no one carried out post mortem examinations on foxes as they were, after all, "just foxes" and were this to start happening and be made public in 2024 I have no doubt there would be an investigation into what was killing foxes. In private diaries there may well be details of what was going on.

Still, hunts met up. Really. That was the answer to foxes dying off everywhere -kill more until nothing was left to hunt. 

We know that foxes, successors to the cur fox, were in towns and cities in the 1800s as there was shelter as well as good food sources -human food waste and rats and mice. "That bloody cat has tipped the bin over again!" may have been heard a lot but that "odd looking ginger cat" was more likely a fox. "Foxes began to enter British towns circa the 1930s" shows a lack of research on the subject.

Foxes were doing better in urban environments despite all the dangers (until it was realised that "fox control" achieved nothing but a waste of money.  

In the 1990s I was hearing that foxes were getting scarcer and in some areas had vanished. Night shooters who like to call themselves "pest control" show every rabbit and fox they saw because each made sure the landowner saw they had done their work and they got paid.  In my previous work I had to speak to these people and the ones considering themselves "professional" were quite chatty.  However, I pointed out that the fox kills and eats rabbits so numbers would be naturally controlled and got two types of response: "Farmer doesn't want either around" and "It's a job that pays well" and that was it. I did note that some o0f these people pointed out that fox numbers had decreased dramatically (they were "doing a good job") or that it was rare for them to see a fox.

We have 'sportsmen/women' who go out every night or week and shoot what ever they want and if they can get a nice number of dead foxes to spread out in front of them for the 'trophy' photo so much the better. They also shoot any pet cat or other animal that they get a crack at -and their pages are full of back-and-forth jokes about this. These people are uncontrolled and it is not a 'sport' but "psychopathy in action"  and they are contributing to wildlife extinction -no one cares. who in their right mind wakes up on a sunny summer day and looks out then chats with mates about donning camo gear and taking their night-scope rifles out to hide and shoot a cat sized animal for 'fun' and then pose as though they just took on the Kraken single handed with just a piece of paper and killed it?  Some of these groups brag that they are "teflon" and nothing sticks or complaints are "lost" "because we have boys in blue (off duty police) joining in".

The claim that foxes increased in number during covid is another lie. They were still killing foxes to such an extent that the fox is becoming less common in the countryside and roads are killing more. 

Back in the early 2000s and ever since I have posted that fox numbers were declining drastically but no one was interested in "just foxes" and then, recently,  the British Trust for Ornithology (who would never cooperate before) did their mammal survey and it was suggested foxes might need to be put on The Red List. 

Badgers are still being killed to order for taxidermy and by farmers who throw the bodies on roads because anyone seeing a dead badger will think "Road kill". Road kill may account for 100,000 a year though I suspect lower now as the badger population has sunk below rock bottom.  Private estates do what they like and no one is around to see what goes on. All of this on top of the unscientific cull being carried out that has likely killed an estimated 300,000 (and now they cannot find enough badgers to carry on more culling!) 

The next great extinction for foxes is not that far off and for badgers who survived the centuries of melecide they are about to face their first. 

Gardeners: Think of the Dangers to Wildlife

 If you are a gardener to help plants grow and attempt to stop slugs or even cats getting at them you may have used a plastic bottle with both ends cut off and put over the plant. Wind blows these around or they simply get discarded.

Not a great photo but a ends cut off plastic bottle is what appears to be stuck around this fox's neck -and there are allotments a few feet away.

A trap has been set to catch and help this one but PLEASE think before you use, when you use or even when you discard these plant guards -they can injure or kill wildlife.

This Morning 16 Recorded Badger Deaths for 2024 ...it has now risen to 22

 Today I made a quick post to a Face Book group just to ask that they report any dead badgers or foxes they see.

The 2024 Bristol Badgers Death Register has today shot up from 16 to 22 reported dead badgers. that is six I would not have heard of had I not posted on a whim.

Ones reported to me from outside Bristol I forward to the relevant badger group but that totals up to 26 reported to me and we know people just can't be bothered reporting so Cull + Cars =a massive downturn in the population nationally and they will not recover from this if it continues.

The Bristol Fox Deaths Project

 Sadly, despite repeated appeals, there is no sign of anyone willing to check out dead foxes that meet a certain criteria for the Bristol Fox Death Project. Once checked and if established that the fox meets our criteria it then needs to be transported to a pathology lab for post mortem.  

One of the things we are looking out for is jaundice -the photo below demonstrates what this looks like and it is one reason why we ask people to take photographs of the head/mouth.

The tint of jaundice can also be seen in the eyes as below.

It is a shame that what is a ground-breaking project on fox deaths has to end especially since I fought long and hard to get official post mortem examinations carried out but no one wants to get involved with dead animals it seems...not even veterinary students.

Save the wolves!

 

Terry,

For decades, wolves were on the brink of extinction in most of Europe and have recently returned to a few countries. But because one of them killed Ursula von der Leyen’s pony, the whole species is at risk again.

The European Commission, led by von der Leyen, has proposed that the EU push to lower the protection status of wolves under an international convention on wildlife conservation in Europe. This wouldn’t just kill wolves in Europe — it would announce open season for governments everywhere to ignore wildlife protection treaties.

Together, we can pressure her into doing the right thing:

Ursula von der Leyen: protect the wolves!

In Sweden, wolves are a "highly endangered" species and are "strictly protected." A poll with rural inhabitants revealed that 68% thought wolves should be strictly protected, and 72% agreed they have a right to coexist.

Wolves are an integral part of Europe's natural heritage. Their return to parts of the continent where the species had previously been erased is a conservation success.

Wolves kill between 30,000 and 40,000 European livestock animals annually, the majority of which are sheep. But farmers are compensated for those losses. Experts say there are simple and effective ways to manage the threat that wolves pose to livestock and to enhance coexistence that are more effective and realistic than deliberate extermination. We’ve got to stop this plan.

Over 130,000 Ekō members joined together to demand governments worldwide ban the sale of products derived from farmed octopuses. We can use our powerful platform to stop this personally fuelled vengeance before it’s too late and demand that wolves’ protection be maintained. But we have to act now:

Ursula von der Leyen, let the wolves live!

According to The Brussels Times, Ursula von der Leyen's plans for the wolves is meeting some resistance from other EU leaders -- who believe it's not legal, and besides, it sends a terrible message to the world. Let's seize the moment and save the wolves!

 Sign the petition 

Thanks for all that you do,
Vanessa and the team at Ekō

Lack of interest in real wildlife work wins.

I never thought that I would write that I was ashamed to be a naturalist from Bristol. No, I have done nothing wrong but it seems I am the only actual real naturalist in the City and County (local "personalities" making videos in the hope of someone from TV seeing them I do not count).

Over five years ago I noted the number of foxes being reported as possibly poisoned. Reactions from the Bristol wildlife groups -zero.  I tried to get support to push for foxes to be submitted for post mortems to identify the causes of death and the resulting support was...zero. It took me more than a year arguing, being nice and pulling a few strings and working every day into the early hours but I got foxes approved for PM study. This I announced on groups and, again, the response was zero. 

In fact the biggest mistake I made was asking on those groups whether someone could check on dead foxes as they were reported -one fox after another vanished and it took a month before it was found out that taxidermists on the groups were grabbing the dead foxes. They were told these were animals possible poisoned and so wildlife crimes evidence and yet they went out there and nabbed them to stuff and sell. Even a couple of badgers listed as "possible suspicious deaths" were nabbed by taxidermists.  Showing commitment to turning a blind eye to wildlife crime in order to make a profit.

The Bristol Fox Deaths Project is groundbreaking in that nowhere else in the country are foxes being submitted for PM examination and we were finding things we were not expecting -even the pathologist was surprised. When I reported back on this, again, a couple "Likes" but zero interest. Bristol is known for its foxes and here we are putting fox study back on the map and...no one in wildlife groups cared. In fact, dead fox and badger reports have 95% come via Lost and Found pet groups which should really make any group claiming to be wildlife orientated ashamed.

I reported on the 2022 and 2023 Bristol Fox and Bristol Badger Deaths Registers and...no interest.Of course drinks evenings and pretty butterfly and birds over-ride those nasty mammals.   

With the number of animals killed on certain blackspots I asked for support to push for over or under road wildlife passes. A couple "Likes" and that was it and so, after months, Bristol City Council could dismiss the need for them. The wildlife deaths on those black spots continue.

As a matter for general discussion I looked at wildlife injuries and the fact that Bristol had no wildlife care centre but I noted that we needed one. On one group that got a "Good idea" and two "Likes" but then the post was removed for "campaigning" -no money was asked for and no campaign announced; wildlife health and conservation was one of the group's stated purposes but that seems to have only been for show.

To get suitable (we have criteria) foxes checked in situ and if suitable picked up and stored before transporting to the pathology centre I asked (repeatedly) for volunteers. Several responses about why they could not and that was it. Did anyone have a place they could cold store a dead fox until it could be submitted? One "maybe" and that soon died a death. We have lost at least 6 foxes to this groundbreaking work because any wildlife project needs volunteers and there are none. 

Are there not many people on Bristol wildlife groups? Let's take the following as examples:

Bristol Naturalist Society                         1.2k

Bristol Nature Network                            4.5k

Bristol and Surrounding Area Wildlife    454

Magpie Bottom Nature Reserve              1.4k

Friends of Troopers Hill                          2.8k

BS5 Wildlife                                            910

BS3 Wildlife                                            2.2k

BS9 Wildlife                                            214

BS34 Wildlife                                          418

BS4                                                          1.2k

BS7 Wildlife                                            132

BS1 and 2 Wildlife                                   50

There are some smaller ones but the total above comes to 15,478 and there are not even two volunteers with transport who can check on dead foxes, badgers and otters (with foxes and otters obviously pick them up for PM study)?  Do you know who the "top contributor" is on most of the above groups with lots of Face Book points (whatever they are)? Me.

Wildlife work is not about guided walks to look at trees or even count butterflies in your garden. You cannot exclude the larger mammals because of personal prejudices or sheer ignorance -some reactions to muntjac deer are almost half-witted. Foxes and badgers we know are heading for a very steep population decline and by the 2030s could be gone. Otters need conserving as best we can yet wildlife groups in Bristol show no interest and, yes, there will be a few angry comments from these but everything I have written about here is recorded on those groups and in posts. Badgers and foxes are not just there for the odd social media photo opportunity.

If you claim to be naturalists then you cannot sit back and do nothing. Watching You Tube videos or TV wildlife shows is NOT being a naturalist. There must be some other naturalists out there not afraid of the rain or cold weather and willing to actually keep things like the Fox Deaths Study going?

As it stands foxes and otters can no longer be collected and submitted for study. No volunteers So when that final post mortem report reaches me the project I have put so much into will end. It should not but it will -I am just one person.  At the same time I will be leaving all of the Bristol wildlife groups and solely concentrating on my canid and felid research work and my Ashton Vale and Bristol Wildlife group on Face Book and the blog. 

As no body or group has offered assistance in over five years the results of the various projects will remain private and distributed only amongst a few involved in research (which excludes Bristol).  I have tried, tried and tried again over five years and I am not bitter. I am totally frustrated with the pretence of people having an interest in the ecosystem and wildlife while sat on their asses and removing posts that they do not like but fall within their group's public statement of intent.

Lack of interest in real wildlife work wins.