The Matter of Dead Badgers In Bristol (yeah, I only tend to get the dead mammals)

 

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.

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*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.