Vale Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre -Contains Graphic Image

 

WARNING - GRAPHIC IMAGES

This poor fox came into us yesterday afternoon after he was seen with the pictured plastic bottle stuck around his neck for at least 2 weeks!

Thankfully, he was caught in a trap and brought straight to us for treatment.

Just over 24 hours with us and his nasty would is already looking better.

He will stay with us for treatment before releasing when he is ready.

Please, take a little extra care when recycling/throwing away rubbish. Although he has a nasty wound, this fox is one of the lucky ones and many, many more animals aren't as fortunate.

What could take you a few seconds longer, could save a life

#ResponsibleRecycling #valewildlifehospital #helpingbritainswildlife

Vale Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre

 

What should I do if an animal is trapped on a sticky mouse board? Experts teach you the ultimate trick: "Salad oil + flour"

I must admit that I was glad when they made sticky traps illegal in the UK. They are nasty and slow ways for an animal to die and hedgehogs stuck on them are usually killed by the person setting these things out -another protected species that was being killed but let's not ask pest control about that, heh? Feral cats get a hard enough time from the anti-cat maniacs.

This case from Tapei (apologies for the bad translation from Chinese to English) demonstrates how nasty these things are.

Reporter Chen Yi/New Taipei Report

https://www.setn.com/news.aspx?newsid=904255&fbclid=iwzxh0bgnhzw0cmteaar1zxutzsjhpgqjleef35ltw9oxmo06rlctkciqm7o0g-upy0btgxcawkcg_aem_affaiz-0apri4rsmxu9h0zccj-vc7lhvbx2kg7g52cov7zaf6sfrke2sjuavpurlidlvyzehv8vvzprj6vyl0hvq

It is inevitable that rats will be infested in big cities, and many people will use sticky mouse boards to catch these uninvited guests. The disadvantage of sticky mouse boards is that they do not recognize animals, and sometimes dogs, cats or other small animals will also be infected. Because the sticky mouse board is extremely sticky, it is difficult to rescue. Experts remind you not to use brute force to pull it to avoid injury to the animal. You can use three common oil products in daily life to assist rescue.

▲The kitten was trapped on the sticky mouse board and kept crying for help. (Photo/Provided by the Animal Protection and Epidemic Prevention Division of the New Taipei City Government)

Banqiao Animal Home received a report from the public on January 14 this year that a kitten was stuck on a sticky mouse board and could not move, and immediately sent personnel to bring the cat back. The kitten on the sticky mouse board kept wailing. Huang Tingxuan, a veterinarian from the Animal Protection Office of the New Taipei City Government, and the animal protection staff poured salad oil on the kitten and rubbed it to make the glue lose its stickiness, and then slowly removed the kitten and the kitten. Separate the sticky mouse board, then sprinkle it with flour to coat the oil and glue, so that the kitten can move freely out of danger.

Ms. Hu, a Banqiao resident, reported on January 14 that a kitten was stuck on a sticky mouse board in a factory warehouse and was unable to move. It turned out that someone set up a sticky mouse board because the factory was infested with rats , but the cat actually got stuck on it. Animal caretaker Yu Zhongnuo quickly drove there and saw that the left side of the kitten's body was completely stuck. It was extremely frightened and hissed when people approached. The animal caretaker quickly took the sticky mouse board and the cat back to Banqiao Animal Center. home, and were rescued by resident veterinarians.

▲The kitten was too nervous, so the veterinarian gave it a sedative. (Photo/Provided by the Animal Protection and Epidemic Prevention Division of the New Taipei City Government)

The frightened kitten was visibly frightened when it was surrounded by people, and the veterinarian injected it with sedatives before rescuing it. Veterinarian and animal care worker Chen Qiaoling poured salad oil on the junction between the cat and the sticky mouse board, and kept rubbing it to make the glue lose its stickiness. Then he successfully separated it from the sticky mouse board, and wrapped it in flour and kneaded it to absorb the oil. and viscose. The kitten quickly regained its energy after leaving the sticky mouse board.

▲After properly rubbing with cooking oil, the veterinarian separated the kitten from the sticky mouse board. (Photo/Provided by the Animal Protection and Epidemic Prevention Division of the New Taipei City Government)

If you see an animal trapped on a sticky board and want to handle it yourself, you must not pull the animal directly from the sticky board. This will cause the skin and flesh to separate, which will harm it. You must use cooking oil, baby oil or Use cleansing oil and other harmless oils to come to the rescue, because oil has the property of coating glue, allowing the animal to separate from the sticky mouse board without being harmed.

▲Knead with flour to remove grease and glue from cats. (Photo/Provided by the Animal Protection and Epidemic Prevention Division of the New Taipei City Government)

In addition, the characteristic of cleansing oil is that it can emulsify adhesive and can better remove adhesive from animals. Then use flour to rub it to remove grease and adhesive. When the stickiness is severe, it usually cannot be cleaned at one time. Veterinarians recommend rinsing and wiping with warm water. Finally, repeat the steps of rubbing with flour and rinsing, and remember to blow dry the animal to avoid letting the animal catch a cold after leaving the sticky mouse board.

The Animal Welfare Department stated that if you use sticky mouse boards to catch mice, you may not catch mice but injure other animals. It urges everyone to be cautious when using such sticky mouse objects and do not place them in open spaces or on routes where other animals may travel, causing Animals were injured or even killed. If the public finds an animal in distress, they can call the Animal Welfare Department hotline at 02-29596353 to report it. The Animal Welfare Department will immediately send personnel to the rescue and bring the animal back for medical care and shelter.

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.

Fever Coat -What Is It and Why Do Foxes Get It?

 That, is a good question and I hope this gives the Reader some idea.

Dakin Humane Society from 3rd June 2022  https://www.dakinhumane.org/blog-full/what-is-fever-coat#:~:text=Even%20though%20their%20coat%20pigment,a%20year%20in%20some%20cases.

What is Fever Coat?

Jun 3, 2022

"In April, we shared a photo on social media of a group of kittens who had been receiving medical care at Dakin. Very quickly, the post soared in popularity and we received dozens of inquiries about a particular kitten with a very distinctive coat pattern.

"That kitten’s name is Verdell and while he has many special qualities, the salt & pepper pigment to his coat was a temporary anomaly.

"Verdell displayed what’s known as fever coat (or stress coat). This fairly uncommon phenomenon occurs when an adult cat experiences an illness or severe stress that causes a spike in body temperature during pregnancy.

"During feline gestation, the developing fetus goes through many changes as they grow. Prior to birth, the pigmentation of a kitten’s coat is very sensitive to heat. If a mom cat experiences a fever due to illness or prolonged stress, it has the potential to affect the developing pigment of her kittens’ fur.

"Fever coat typically presents as silver, grey, or cream-colored coats, most prominent at the tips of the fur, darkening toward the root.

"Fever coat creates a visually striking coat but has no negative implications for the kitten’s overall health going forward. Even though their coat pigment did not fully develop in the womb, their coat color is still written in their DNA and will present a little later in the kitten’s life. Fever coat typically resolves around four months of age but can take up to a year in some cases."

You may hear of a "fever coat" fox and online you will find this explanation:

https://www.facebook.com/blackfoxesuk

"Fever Coat in Foxes

There are several different circumstances that may occur where a fox's coat colour may change. This can be down to a variety of different reasons including stress, illness or even environmental factors.

"Extreme stress or infection in a pregnant vixen can result in fever, which in turn can disrupt the distribution of temperature-sensitive pigment cells during neural crest development of the young. The condition is known as #FeverCoat and is also seen in kittens.

"It can effect the whole litter to varying degrees and makes the young appear paler or even white at first, but as they age they will begin to darken and by the time they reach their first full moult at aged two, they will generally have developed their full colouration."

The above fox is one of several white foxes from a leash wiped out in the 1930s. It looks to be around 2+ years old and the other from this leash we have images of also looks adult so this was not albinism but a colour variation of red foxes.  White foxes were not "extremely rare" and there are accounts of them being hunted and killed and there are a lot of taxidermy examples which shows how un-rare they were.

It needs to be noted that vixens do suffer verminous pneumonia (lung worm) and other illnesses so if this affects fox cubs we might expect more fever coat cubs. To date I do not have many images of fever coat foxes but I do have a few white foxes in the data base.

I actually do not make all of this up.

 People seriously think I make stuff up so...

WWF UK:

"30 million birds have vanished from our skies in the last 50 years, 97% of our wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930's, and a quarter of all our mammals are at risk of extinction. We've lost so much, we're now in the bottom 10% of countries globally in terms of nature we have left."

See? I actually do not make all of this up.

A White Fox Cub?

 Another unusual case this time dealt with by Wildlife Aid:

https://www.facebook.com/WildlifeAid

Last week, an unexpected sight arrived: a white fox cub. Despite our forty years of experience, encountering such a uniquely coloured fox cub was a first. However, the cub was in a very poorly state, having been found collapsed and barely responsive.

After giving him time to warm up, the cub was administered supportive fluids; he also managed to consume a small amount of oral rehydration, but with little energy. Recognising the need for continuous monitoring, we put him in the care of one of our experienced fosterers, but, heart-breakingly, despite a brief moment of improvement, the cub passed away, 48 hours later.

Our vet team carried out a post-mortem on the cub, where they discovered further abnormalities, including severe anaemia and a completely white liver, something our experienced vet had not encountered before. We are aware of the possibility of "Fever coat" or "Stress coat" occurring in some cubs, where extreme stress and illness in the vixen, during pregnancy, can impair melanin deposition in the fur of her foetuses, however, with other irregularities, we suspect the cub was suffering from congenital issues.

The reasoning behind some of the genetic variations we see in wildlife is often a mystery within our field. Evolutionary adaptations are recognised as such when a genetic mutation benefits an animal. This can be in the form of colour, size, or even shape. Conversely, mutations that harm an animal are often labelled as genetic disorders. The environment significantly impacts the occurrence of genetic mutations in animals and, with the rapidly changing landscape due to human expansion, it is uncertain whether these differences could be advantageous or harmful to the animal. Sadly, for this cub, it was the latter.

I added, because I am That person:

"Actually white foxes were not that rare. You still see them today but sadly they are good targets for idiots with guns who want something "rare" to sell. There are a lot of taxidermy from the UK of white foxes and even Medieval illustrations show white foxes. Sad that this one did not make it but there were well known white foxes in a certain city up to a year ago."

Fox Facts

 

The Unluckiest Ginger and White Cat in Bristol?

 Just deleted one person who joined yesterday and stated a fox was worrying local cats -hers included- in Easton. I sent her a message asking for video footage and asking her to explain what was going on as it might be behaviour that is misunderstood. 24 hours later no response.

Just checked and her profiles states FROM Bristol but LIVING IN London so how she is having her and neighbours cats hassled by a fox in Bristol where she has not lived for some time...) . Anti-fox lies again. And locals are reporting they get no problems and actually like the foxes.

And we've had the ginger and white cat with pink collar taken to a vet after a fox attack. Well a person states someone they knew had told them and the vet named have said they have had no cat submitted last night.

This is "Bristol's Unluckiest Cat" as it was attacked and carried off helpless by a fox in 2022 and attacked and savaged by a fox in 2023....oh, and carried off again. All at the same time of year and always posted to pet and fox groups.

How many ginger and white with pink collars are there in Bristol?

Same lies over and over.

In the last 5 years I have gone after these people (politely) asking for their CCTV footage and the name of the vet they took their savaged cat to. Checking their profiles they have not one single image of their "much loved and part of the family" pet. In fact they may have hacked and used those accounts.

This is the level the pro-hunt/anti-fox faction have sunk to every year and I go back on these claims to the 1970s well before the internet and 1976-2024 any photos, vet reports or other evidence? NOT one bit.

So be aware when you see these claims they are fake.

What Would It Take?

 

If the badger cull was stopped immediately and anyone shooting, poisoning or snaring a badger has prosecuted to the extreme as a lesson to other offenders would it help badger extinction?  

No. 

Despite pledges to fight for the environment and wildlife local authorities such as Bristol City Council will not even consider wildlife over/underpasses such as exist around the world. Badgers would still die in high numbers due to cars and drivers who will not even stop to see whether they have killed the animal.   

So badger and other wildlife losses will be high.  Were local authorities to install wildlife over/underpasses and end badger culling it would probably take 30-40 years for PROTECTED badgers to start recovering.   No one wants to do any of this and the "animal loving British public" barely show any interest.

If a Labour government were voted in it would need to stop the culling. Stop all fox hunting and start to put money into wildlife road crossings. Sadly, Labour has not been seen as a party for the countryside.  It will take all of the above and greater police powers with no "secret deals" between high ranking police officers and a local hunt.  

So, yes, extinction.

Please Sign The Petition

 

Strengthen the Hunting Act to prevent Foxhunters riding out with more than 2 hounds

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/en-gb/727/985/794/strengthen-the-hunting-act-to-prevent-foxhunters-riding-out-with-more-than-2-hounds/?taf_id=68303366&cid=fb_na&fbclid=IwAR12x93CxTEYBdznFNWRKWbExt6DZJ2q1CzADRUyDohpd-gr5nKAZmp0vEY_aem_AaitdsJIjtw5PTU7HycATcTKn3ZW_4JnmpYRksPFYvuuIMZjtp12-cEHv4Q5IlD7dkn529ICIPIt0ePK4xfqQaCr

Extinction Now Seems Inevitable.

 

The Badger Trust posted this and it is well worth visiting the site for full details. I will comment here with what I wrote in a previous post

https://foxwildcatwolverineproject.blogspot.com/2024/04/worrying-conversations.html:

"I stated in a previous post that I believed the actual number of badgers culled in the UK totalled over 300,000. 

"I have been asking and checking various sources and it appears that 250,000 is continually offered as a total number as it is "more acceptable" to the public. There is a lot of playing fast and loose with official bodies who try to deceptively not respond when responding to questions. I really -really- do not want to but have to accept that the number of badgers culled may reach 400,000 in number. "

Looking over the information I have repeatedly decided that the 400,000 figure cannot be accepted for good reasons but the 300,000 figure does make sense and I have predicted over the last few years (yes, making me that "mad man who goes on about extinction") that the fox population is in a critical state and that the badgers were in a similar state and -it is all on posts you can check out- I have stated that by the 2030s we will have hit an extinction event. The rare urban badgers (so long as they are left alone and survive the cars) will be all we have left. 

I was told -I believe that it was also reported elsewhere- that like foxes it was becoming difficult (the word "impossible" was used) to find badgers and some of the cullers were "officially unofficially expanding cull areas".  Dead badgers are worth money but now we have come to the point that badgers are extinct in certain  areas and there should be some anxious farmers around as continued bTB is a sign of bad animal husbandry.

I am afraid that, after decades of looking at species (UK and elsewhere) extinctions we have reached that point and there will be no stop to the cull because of crooked politics and corruption.  

The UK appears to be a country dedicated to wiping out wildlife and destroying the environment for politics and money. 

https://www.badgertrust.org.uk/post/the-slaughter-and-misinformation-behind-it-continues-over-230-000-badgers-killed?fbclid=IwAR0FlKajQ_NsnxEfiBuYsVFgBuxNdAPVS3oHDWuww9xLqzHbVo5D34bFTfQ_aem_AZpkYeg1fv7DdZ-zx5kHj0ZYTDzVDgDV5onSaTAtJf4SVS2KqVE2NHEgAbPdxTfHdAt0eseJdtpY2w6MFAQ0q6aG

The slaughter and misinformation behind it continues – over 230,000 badgers killed

In some areas of England, the government can’t find any more badgers to kill.

Government figures released today show that they killed 19,570 more badgers in 2023 as part of the government-led cull. This figure takes the total number of protected badgers killed since 2012 under the policy to 230,125.   

In many areas, particularly in heavily culled parts of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, shooters found it hard to reach anywhere near their minimum kill targets – they simply didn't find the badgers.  This chilling reality of the effect of mass badger killing underlines what was submitted to the Bern Convention—that we are in danger of local extinction in England’s cull areas, and badger populations are not recovering. 

The evidence keeps pointing to cattle measures being the answer—the government has never shown that just shooting badgers cuts bovine tuberculosis (bTB), which the authors of Defra’s own studies repeatedly make clear.

What evidence does Defra have of a causal link between culling badgers and reducing bTB in cattle? Badger culling has always taken place alongside more effective on-farm cattle measures, such as restricting cattle movements, improving biosecurity, and better cattle testing—measures that do work. 94% of bTB spread is due to cattle. Without mandatory cattle measures, the cycle of bTB infection in farmed cattle will continue regardless of how many badgers are culled.

Defra's latest consultation on “badger control operations” that closes on 22 April does not stack up—they've killed over 230,000 badgers and barely tested any. Yet, cattle are only slaughtered when they test positive for bTB.  Cattle vaccines are being developed across the world, and they work, yet they delay their deployment.  The government seems happy to spend more on killing badgers than developing the science that could bring bTB rates down.  Their obsession with the badger continues, and nature always pays the price.

Peter Hambly, Executive Director of Badger Trust, said,

“The killing of badgers must stop.  It doesn’t work in bTB control – it never has.  Now, the government plans to kill even more with no end date, without the science case or business case to back it up.  

When they can’t find the badgers to kill, you know we are near local extinction events. After 250,000 years of badgers on this land, we may be nearing the end of the badger in some areas.  

This is a national nature scandal – let’s end the badger cull before it’s too late.”