After a vixen was stressed out and had to move her cubs from a garden where people could not possibly wait to remove a shed -it would devastate them- I need to make this clear again. In some cases a cub may be left behind so any cub deaths are down to your ignorance and nothing else.
Most people know that from 1977 on (still occasionally) I am an exotics wildlife consultant for UK police forces. In that capacity I had to talk to shooters and game keepers in order to complete reports.
It was via the conversations that I learn all the ins-and-outs of night time shooting. It was also from all of this that made me warn, in the 1990s, that the UK fox population was in decline -in some areas foxes had not been seen for 6-9 months and once any turning up were killed ....no more. I asked how they were making their money then? "Oh, no foxes the rabbit population booms and farmers don't want that so we shoot a ton of them and present them to the farmer who can see we've done our job and we get paid."
I also heard of farmers and estate owners paying "good money to snuff badgers" To which was added "on the quiet though". Now why, if these people knew I worked with police forces would they tell me this? Because they knew private land and no evidence and no one really interested in investigating meant it was all done scot free. There are things that I have heard and been told that concern me.
We are always given the number of 250,000 badgers having been killed in culls and after so many years I doubt that figure. Shooters brag about the cull payments having helped purchase houses and expensive lifestyles. DEFRA:
"1.3 Costs and benefits of extending the current approach to a further 11 intensive culling areas
"Each new cull area is expected to deliver net benefits of between -£0.49 million and -£0.04 million per area, with a central estimate of approximately -£0.16 million. This includes costs accrued over 4 years of culling and benefits accrued over 11 years in line with results from the Randomised Badger Control Trial (RBCT).
"The future costs to UK government are estimated at £0.33 million per area over 4 years.
"Previous versions of the VfM analysis included costs incurred by farmers who are prepared to use their own money to fund culls. These have not been available for this and the previous version of the VfM analysis and are therefore excluded.
"The total monetised benefits are estimated to be around £0.01 million and £0.29 million per area over eleven years, with a central estimate of £0.16 million. This is based on the results of the RBCT."
They like to say benefits and give percentages to hide things as officials always do. How much does bovine TB cost the government?
"bTB eradication costs UK taxpayers around £150 million per annum, with additional costs falling to the cattle industry. More information can be found at TB hub - Bovine TB Advice & Tuberculosis Information for Cattle Farmers."
https://aphascience.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/24/tb-day-2023/
One shooter bemoaned the fact that "You get nothing for the nippers (cubs)"
Badgers in the UK are recognised by zoologists across Europe and elsewhere as "scapegoat species". Protected in 1971 and not long after "kill them!" So people are making good money and there is very limited financial burden on the farmer. Remember that badger clans that have been monitored for years with no sign of TB in tests and nowhere near cattle were also slaughtered.
The figure of 250,000 does not include many cubs -bodies are bagged up and disposed of. Watching the talk online and hearing back from other interested parties I was told by one that "People don't care. The badger huggers would shit a brick -250k is a laugh!" So how many seems to be a likely number?
300,000
which is far over half the badger population and we have no idea how many cubs because "they don't count". If we consider that an estimated 100,000 die on UK roads then it can be seen that the UK badger population is on its way to extinction -which it avoided after centuries of hunting. Yes, hunting never killed off badgers when they were not protected but as a protected species they are being openly slaughtered.
Now we know that the UK government and politicians in voting farmers pockets have declared badgers are to be eradicated (exterminated) from large areas of England. Where are the protests -perhaps the latest Eastenders plot is a bit too gripping for asses to leave seats?
We are seeing foxes heading for extinction (again) and badgers along with them. Are the "animal loving British public" seriously just going to sit there and let two more species go extinct like others also on the verge?
Yes.
I called the UK "The Blood Red Island" because it has seen species -birds, mammals, fish- all go extinct and even those brought to the UK to 'reintroduce' the species are being killed off. A pro hunt government fishing for votes and more has led our wildlife to extinction road and they don't care because they are only in it for the money.
Sit on your asses and watch TV or the internet and don't worry your vacant little minds over it -there will still be pizza and beer.
When people claim high standards when it comes to wildlife they better live up to those claims. From 1977 to 2017 (and still on and off) I was an exotic animals consultant for UK police forces and the Exotic Animals Register was highly regarded.
On a number of occasions I was contacted by wildlife watchdog groups to look into certain establishments -whether zoos or wildlife parks. If I found problems I would speak to someone at the place involved and explain that I was the "soft option" as bigger bodies were aware of problems. 90% of those I contacted made corrections to procedures or how animals were kept (a snow leopard under a roller coaster for goodness sake). Those that did not found themselves reported to local authorities and had their licences very carefully scrutinised and then they had extra expense in updating things.
I did not like doing this but as far as I am concerned then and now, the animals are the important thing not how being awkward will make an establishment spend more more. The line that will make me be very blunt with someone is "But the cost---" at that point I then cite regulations and "the local licensing authority are on the other line".
On a number of occasions I have telephoned wildlife parks or zoos and upon saying who I am "All of our exotics can be accounted for none have escaped" which meant I stifled a laugh. I was only phoning to find out opening times, etc.!
When I started hearing reports of various British wildlife rescues I checked. None are really deliberately operating badly but there is a great deal of mental stress involved on top of the physical work involved. We have had one person operating a "wildlife rescue" who had a breakdown and the animals were not kept in good conditions but he refused to not help a wild animal. Money donated is never enough to cover food, bedding and vet bills in the UK are said to be the highest in Europe and I have first hand experience of that.
People often snipe back when I state that the RSPCA is no longer seen as wildlife friendly unless there is a reporter or TV crew around. I can cite dates and case examples of the RSPCA not just flatly refusing to just give the location and reason (RTA etc) a fox was put to sleep but giving the run around and then just ignoring messages. This is not "overworked" staff this is plain and simple keeping quiet how much wildlife aside from foxes they put down -one ex RSPCA inspector has stated "Wildlife take up too much space and staff time so the rule is if it's injured PTS in situ."
If you think the Secret World post was bad for their reputation you ought to see the draft post on the RSPCA nationally.
If you are a wildlife rescue then, yes, you need to appeal for donations of money or things like food, bedding and so on. There is no funding for trying to save British wildlife (but a lot of money to kill it) so continuing the work is a struggle and it takes dedicated people who basically give up their regular lives. If I find any wildlife rescue making high claims about what it does and it turns out that is just a gimmick to get money donated then I will name and shame them and back that up with facts.
I wrote over two years ago that UK wildlife rescues should be aware that I was acting as an unofficial watchdog on their work and to date most have been beyond reproach -and a little leeway is always needed. We need to try to save and conserve our wildlife not refuse to help it because there is a new packet of biscuits close-by and the stress of passing on a rescuers details would upset your appetite.
Always check that your nearest rescue has a good reputation and if it does SUPPORT it
The rescued cub is now safely with Vale Wildlife.
I am sorry to say that after a number of years a line has been crossed that, in my opinion, shows that Secret World, Somerset, does not live up to what it claims:
To prevent British wildlife suffering needlessly and inspire in everyone an understanding and love of wildlife and the countryside.
I have tried repeatedly to get cooperation going with them but it seems that a very bad attitude and stance to other rescuers or wildlife workers began at some point and rudeness and pettiness are common place.
I was told some 2-3 years ago that someone telephoned Secret World about a fox with a leg injury. That person was told: "We would have to trap it and policy is any leg injury the animal is put to sleep (PTS". I was asked if that was right but supposed the person had misunderstood.
About a week later someone else contacted me about a fox with a leg injury. They had telephoned Secret World and was told: "We would have to trap it and policy is any leg injury the animal is put to sleep (PTS."
A couple of months later my brother visited and knows little about the fox work but mentioned that there was a vixen that came into their garden and it had an injured twisted leg. They contacted Secret World. Guess what Secret World told him? "We would have to trap it and policy is any leg injury the animal is put to sleep (PTS." incidentally, that vixen has had a couple of litters and she still has the deformed leg but keeps even her adult offspring in their place.
Obviously I had to see what was going on and so I telephoned Secret World and stated that I had a fox with a bad limp visiting my garden (I didn't of course). "We would have to trap it and policy is any leg injury the animal is put to sleep (PTS." So I asked "What if it's just a pulled muscle or bad sprain?" The reply, and absolutely no mishearing: "It would be put down. Any leg injuries that is standard operating policy". It was confirmed to my own ears.
Months later I had a fox visit the garden with severe mange and it looked very unwell. SW actually did send someone and I showed him the photos I had taken of the fox so he could see its condition and explained that with temperatures to drop to -4 in the next day or so it needed catching to treat or whatever. "Ah, we have a trap but it might attract attention so we won't try to trap it" and that was ridiculous as to get to my house you have to walk along a quiet lane and my back garden is enclosed on all sides. I was given about 6 small (saccharine sized) tablets and told "give it these and let nature take its course" and with that he, and the younger fella with him walked off. The fox died.
Constantly Secret World were telling people that their fox pens were up to capacity (word from people working there stated there were no foxes at the centre) and that they had one ambulance stationed at Bridgewater so could not help. This was repeated to me by someone in the last couple of weeks who (apart from being very insulting about my work) told me "We have one ambulance in Bridgewater which is where it is stationed if you understand" and the call back from this person was equally pointless.
A man had a fox visiting his garden that was fairly inactive and had laboured breathing and he contacted Secret World who told him that they could not help. End of story. He managed to find the Bristol Fox Lady, Sarah Mills' details and along with Fox Angels Foundation it was decided to treat it for 5 days then trap and take to Vale Wildlife in Oxfordshire which was a long journey but Secret World was not an option. The treatment worked and the fox has now recovered fully.
It was only in 2021 that another wildlife rescue asked what part of the country I was in and when I told them the response was "Oh, the PTS Centre is your local one" and I actually defended Secret World. Then checking on some things with other wildlife centres I found they all referred to Secret World as "The PTS Centre" and that any fox going there was not going to live long.
This was all raising concerns. Sarah Mills is a competent trained rescuer and has had call outs from Secret World yet no one contacted her to tell her about the foxes that needed checking on. They were quite happy for foxes to suffer and die. That was unbelievable. I knew the centre when its founder Pauline Kidner was in charge and wildlife was a priority.
Despite asking Secret World to cooperate in the Bristol Fox and Badger death projects and other fox work since 2019 they have refused. There is also something I was very unhappy with and that is that Secret World asked that any fox bought in have a note from a vet stating that it could be put down. THAT shocked me.
Then we had fundraising using a dead fox. No joke.
Sarah Mills had rescued a fox and the vet that saw it recommended that it needed a few days recuperation having just had a piece of broken cooked bone stuck in its gum. We were told, this was a Bristol Fox Project fox submitted, the fox was doing fine on Friday. On Saturday "It's been put down for neurological reasons". A shock but then even getting the fox to submit it for a post mortem was fraught with refusal by Secret World to cooperate but we got it in the end.
Now, imagine seeing, SEVEN days after the fox was allegedly PTS the photo of the same fox and a post on Secret Worlds Face Book page telling how greatly they were treating the fox that 'they' rescued and it was currently recovering in a nice warm pen. Yes; the dead fox was alive and well and recovering so...what fox had we submitted? I asked Secret World if this was a mix up in foxes and explained that the fox shown they had told us was put down and now awaiting post mortem? No response so I made the point and asked the question on the FB page itself where people had donated to take care of the fox. Later in the day the post was taken down. No apology. No explanation. Luckily I had supplied the pathologist with enough case details to confirm the fox that underwent post mortem was ours.
There is much more but how bad does a supposed wildlife rescue have to sink to be known by others around the country as the "PTS Centre"??
And now we come to the final straw. On the 27th March a disabled woman phoned Secret World as a vixen had obviously been unable to get to anywhere safe and had cubs under an exposed garden table. The area was flooded and the woman explained the situation but was told the fox would take one cub at a time and jump over the fence to get them to safety. Despite it sounding like the vixen was utterly exhausted Secret World told the woman to leave her side gate open for the fox to exit. This was a vulnerable person who was expected to leave her gate open overnight. Secret World was not interested and, again, did not even suggest the lady contact Sarah Mills.
Today, 28th, Sarah visited the site and the vixen looked weak and had two living cubs near her (we hope they survive the night) and further away from the vixen three others dead...until one squeaked. Sarah checked and then revived the cub and is currently feeding the weak cub before taking it to an actual wildlife centre, The Vale in Oxfordshire. The table has been covered as best as could be and we wait to see how the vixen and surviving cubs do but the outlook for the cubs is not good.
The death of these cubs is squarely on Secret World's hands. They refused to offer any help and even knowing that Sarah was on call all day refused to give out her phone number. That is not what a genuine wildlife rescue does.
The following are photographs of the scene that met Sarah and the cub she managed to revive. Believe me, I have had to severely restrict the language I want to use.
--------------------------------------------------update---------------------------------
I spoke with Sarah this morning and the cub woke up for food every three hours, peed and poo'd then went back to sleep. Had it not make that tiny squeak when the other two were being put into a plastic carrier for disposal then it would not now be on its way to Vale Wildlife Hospital which is further than Secret World but at least we know it will be safe and looked after.
During the night the vixen vanished for two hours which led the the thought that the two out of five left had also died. However, on checking the vixen had taken the two cubs after what must have been a stressful birth. Incidentally, the lady whose garden this took place in was told by Secret World that the side gate had to be left open as "foxes cannot jump or climb over fences"! That is the most stupid remark I have heard from a supposed rescue on foxes -foxes are known to climb trees, they get up on garage and even house rooves.
As it stands vixen has the two largest cubs, Vale will soon have one and two were lost.
Photos taken at the scene; the first is the sight that greeted Sarah on arrival three dead cubs soaked and cold -one, however was clinging on to life and only appeared dead.
A must read
photo (c)2024 Hans Veth
I have mentioned the Old fox types from the UK and Ireland (again; I write "Ireland" to cover the entire island since wildlife do not recognise boundaries) and have shown an image of the infamous Colquhoun Mountain fox killed in the mid 1830s. The Extinct Fox and Wild Cats Museum has others but we tried to find out whether any European museums had similar.
As previously noted the responses have been either belligerent ("I've never heard of this before!") or just time wasting because...they cannot be bothered? Not one single German museum has responded which is a pity.
However, one museum did respond and that was from the Netherlands. We don't want to name it at the moment for specific reasons but they were very kind enough to search and then take photographs of the fox from 1843. It was gifted to the museum and if you look at the fox it is quite clearly not what we expect from modern Vulpes vulpes.
It does not look tall or sturdy enough to be a Mountain fox or a Hill fox so could this be the old Cur or Common fox? Notice the lack of black markings and even the "tear-stain" muzzle markings. An overall brown colour is what we would expect to see in Old fox types.
The importance of DNA testing is clear because the Old foxes of Western Europe, UK and Ireland were either a distinct species or Vulpes vulpes in its ancestral form before inter-breeding with red foxes that migrated west from the east of Europe. These foxes were depicted in European and British art and not a case of "a rare or odd colouration" because we have others of the same appearance.
Somewhere in other parts of the UK and Europe may well lie other old taxidermy of these foxes and those could add so much more to the study of the true history of foxes.
If you've found a den in your home, you must not block or destroy it. The reason is that it's hard to know if foxes are still inside as they can go deep underground. Therefore, blocking the hole could trap the fox in without any method to get out again.
If you can't wait, then start by cutting back plants that have grown around the area to make it less sheltered. Before embarking on work you can encourage the mother fox (vixen) to move on by making noise near the den. You could also start walking around the den.
It is no exaggeration to say that at times wildlife work can be gut-wrenching. I just made this entry in the Bristol Fox Deaths Register 2024:
If you are donating to Secret World thinking it helps Bristol wildlife -stop.
angry.
Just recently, a golden jackal appeared for the first time in the East Tyrolean Pustertal. Also in South Tyrol, Upper Austria, Carinthia and Styria, golden jackals have been appearing in the past. Another four golden jackal families have settled in Burgenland. However, this is more than enough according to the provincial government of Burgenland. The province now tries to approve legislation to allow hunters to kill golden jackals between October and March.
The golden jackal falls under the species of community interest in the Flora and Fauna Habitats Directives. This means that hunting is only possible when there is a so-called favourable conservation status. A representative state councillor states that the golden jackal population reached this status. However, an objective assessment of the conservation status seems to be unavailable to justify the decision to start killing golden jackals in Burgenland, as is reported in the news.
However, provincial hunting associations have advocated the shooting of golden jackals for years. The main reason is that golden jackals catch hares and pheasants, young roe deer or even bigger prey, so says the representative of the hunting association.
The exact number that hunters can kill has still to be defined. This is also difficult as there is no official number of the current population size in the region. A public vote on whether we should kill golden jackals shows clearly what the general public thinks. Amongst the first 1000 voters 85% disagree with the statement as well.
Whether it is research and studying species like foxes, otters, badgers, etc. or treating/rescuing them the one thing that is missing is the financial support.
I caught the tail end of an interview with some businessman on radio and he was asked about helping the environment and wildlife as a way of giving back to the community. I will paraphrase slightly what he said: "These organisations never contact us -we're here."
To which I have to respond that most wildlife workers/rescues are almost 24 hours a day working to help, treat and catch wildlife that needs help and that is exhausting work and unpaid and often with a family attached to boot. Past experience has shown businesses unwilling to support animal charities because there is "no profit in it" or they just feel "Nothing to do with us". When every hour involves treating animals and trying to get supply donations people at rescues cannot afford time to search out every local business and ask if they would like to financially support them. One had the response "Cheeky cow!" for asking.
Businessmen have staff and those can easily check online for local rescues and wildlife rescuers and offer support for some good publicity.
Oh, I have been down the route of trying to get support for fox research and the responses and been polite "Get stuffed" or "Why would anyone want to study foxes -their vermin" (No, vermin is a hunt word and foxes have never been called vermin by any official body) but the end result is always "Go away".
It's a struggle to get funding to cover costs of fox treatments and even cover fuel costs for a week so if you are a local business or businessman check around and see what local rescues there are. Show you care and PLEASE support them because they are needed.
As a "shut up" to the people who follow the bad math of domestic cats wiping out millions of animals each year (yet despite over 1000+ years of domestic cats in the UK those species are still here). Here we can estimate based on real body counts ands I can assure you that no cats were driving the vehicles.
How many animals are killed on the roads UK?
In Britain annual road casualties are estimated to account for 100,000 foxes, 100,000 hedgehogs, 50,000 badgers and 30,000-50,000 deer. Badgers were previously estimated at 65,000+ killed each year (and ignore the 250,000 humans have wiped out in a programme of extermination).
Ignore me and let's see what the Wikipedia entry on road kill has to say
In the United States, over 1 million vertebrate animals are killed by vehicle collisions every day. Globally, the number amounts to roughly 5.5 million killed per day, which when extrapolated climbs to over 2 billion annually.
A year-long study in northern India in an agricultural landscape covering only 20 km of road identified 133 road kills of 33 species comprising amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The study compared all species seen along the road and estimated that traffic killed individuals of 30% of amphibian species, 25% of reptile species, 16% of birds, and 27% of mammals.
I checked and none of the drivers was identified as being a cat (forgive the black humour it comes with the work)
French wildlife overpass
We like to scapegoat an animal for the destruction we cause and even the poor hedgehog was the victim of bounty killing and are still being killed anywhere ground nesting 'sport birds' are kept. Oh, the badger was blamed for their declining numbers....then the fox. Never humans.
We blame the grey squirrel for the decline in red squirrels and yet they were released and merely replaced the British red squirrel that 'sportsmen' had wiped out by the 1860s...they then imported more.
We are now legally exterminating a 'protected species' (badger) based on bad science and corruption as the cause of bovine tb.
Foxes are now declining as a species. There are other species declining at an alarming rate in the UK and that is not due to fluffy the cat.
Please do not write"cats are an invasive species" because they are not. There were cats of a number of types before humans started colonising Britain -oh; we managed to wipe out the surviving lynx and then the wild cats. Humans are a true invasive species that kills everything and anything for fun or because they simply do not care.
Stop blaming every animal in existence and look in the mirror to see the real wildlife destroyer.
As I trudge through more fox post mortem reports I am aware that some find that of no interest but at a time when we are seeing fox numbers...
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