For 10 years now I have tried to get Bristol City Council to adopt some procedures to help stop the non stop death of wildlife on the City's roads ( mainly down to speeding) and in the last 6 years I have pushed the matter regarding foxes and badgers which are still being killed in high numbers and that resulting in orphaned rescued as well as dying cubs.
The old Labour and now Green Party run councils have all had the same attitude: "Oh dear. How sad. No money" and if facts and figures cannot move these people who think it perfectly acceptable for wildlife to be wiped out because of vehicle drivers not giving a damn what is left?
As a final effort I have sent the following email to the national Green Party, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Protect the Wild. Sadly, I do not expect that this will achieve anything as the UK is far from wildlife friendly.
The email:
Hello.
I am contacting Protect the Wild, IFAW and especially the Green Party as in the last 10 years I have tried every avenue to get something done to prevent the continued mass deaths on roads in and around the City of Bristol. The following is a message sent to Councillor Heather Mack Deputy Leader Bristol City Council, Councillor Martin Fodor Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee and Councillor Ed Plowden Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee on the 5th March, 2025 along with a copy of the combined Bristol Fox and badger deaths register (attached):
"Hello.
"I contacted you last year about the number of wildlife deaths on Bristol's roads and suggested under or overpasses on roads that have the highest death counts.
"I have heard nothing since your response to look at the matter. If there is a councillor appointed to look into such matters please let me know or feel free to forward this to them.
"I have attached the Fox and badger deaths registers which I set up in 2022 as part of the British Fox and Wild Canid Study (1976) and Bristol Badger Group (f 1995)
"The total number of badger deaths stands at 150 badgers (March 2025 additions now push this to around 200) since 2022. There have been at least 8 otters killed. 647 adult and cub foxes and since the report was put together in early February we have had one heavily pregnant badger sow killed and three pregnant vixens who died and gave still birth to cubs at the scene (distressing for not just the wildlife responder but also members of the public. Even while checking the dead animals the responded had to avoid speeding traffic on a city road. Total number of reported dead foxes is now well over 700.
"This is literally a slaughter and mainly due to speeding drivers and long straight roads even in busy areas of the city used for racing along at speed above the limit. A number of near accidents involving pedestrians on these stretches of road show how reckless drivers are. One obvious solution along long straight roads are speed bumps -enabling drivers to slow and see wildlife crossing. In other areas under or over road pasess are needed. The Hicks Gate stretch of road is constantly seeing badgers, foxes and even deer (collisions with deer have so far not caused human fatality but that is an inevitability if a large stag is crossing the road anbd the driver is going so fast he/she sends it flying -in one incident last year police estimated with the size of deer hit and speed of the car there must have been at least £200+ worth of damage to the car.
"These drivers are hitting wildlife and not even reporting the incidents. Out of all of the deaths only one was reported by a driver in another car.
"I know that the constant excuse is that the finances are not available for under or over road passes, wildlife crossing signs but how much more wildlife death can the Green Party as the current Bristol City Council leadership sit back and allow -in a City supposedly noted for its love of wildlife and attracting international guests to wildlife events? On some roads speed bumps would at least provide a measure to slow traffic and prevent wildlife, domestic pet deaths and any chance of human fatality.
"I believe that Bristol City Council has the contact details for Sarah Mills ("The Bristol Fox Lady") who carries out rescues, etc in the City. I am sure she can advise on the worst locations and they can also be noted in the attached document.
"I have lived in Bristol all my life and I am shocked and appalled at our wildlife losses (including hedgehogs and birds) due to vehicles and the lack of action by local authorities. This is an opportunity for the Green Party to step up and preserve our wildlife for future generations to enjoy or sit by and allow it to be wiped out.
"I look forward to your response.
Terry Hooper"
The initial response was:
"Hello Terry,
"Thank you for your email.
"I will forward this on to Martin Fodor who is responsible for ecology and Ed Plowden who is responsible for transport.
"We have many competing priorities for our funding – especially our capital (one off – physical) projects – and right now most of it is committed to some significant safety projects such as the harbour walls. We sadly have little money to spend on local road safety issues – but I will keep this in mind when considering priorities.
"Kind regards,
Heather
Heather Mack"
My response, please bear with me as I want to give a fair view of what went on.
"Hello.
"I am really shocked by the response. In view of the speedy reply I doubt you read the document I sent and you probably missed this paragraph in my email:
"The total number of badger deaths stands at 150 badgers (March 2025 additions now push this to around 200) since 2022. There have been at least 8 otters killed. 647 adult and cub foxes and since the report was put together in early February we have had one heavily pregnant badger sow killed and three pregnant vixens who died and gave still birth to cubs at the scene (distressing for not just the wildlife responder but also members of the public. Even while checking the dead animals the responded had to avoid speeding traffic on a city road. Total number of reported dead foxes is now well over 700."
We are talking about an estimated 1000-2000 wildlife killed and not out in the countryside but right here on the streets of Bristol where speeding seems to be common, particularly along long stretches of road. People out walking or walking dogs and crossing the road are in danger. If no traffic slowed down or moved further out while a wildlife worker in high visibility vest is doing her work what does that tell you?
"Badgers have already been culled to the point that the national population will never recover and foxes have declined to such a degree that they too face near extinction (even the British Trust for Ornithology after its mammal survey suggested that foxes need to be Red Listed). It is not a case of "other priorities" it is a case of either standing up for the environment we live in and protect the wildlife Bristol authorities keep bragging they are so fond of or just seeing hundreds more die -we are approaching 100 dead foxes as of today. The Green Party states as item 3 of "Our Core Values":
- Humankind depends on the diversity of the natural world for its existence. We do not believe that other species are expendable.
"There is an article on The Green Party page "Nature Is In Crisis" and, yes, it is in crisis and in Bristol we are seeing deer, foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, birds of prey, otters and other species being killed by road users and this is tackled as a priority in many other countries.
"The Green Party was voted in by many people who believed the promises and it is time that the Party actually steps up and becomes pro-active or sit back and accept the responsibility for doing nothing to try to save the wildlife that is important to our environment.
"There can be no excuses -we are quite willing to provide photographs of all the dead badgers and foxes if required- Bristol's wildlife is in crisis and people are looking to the Green Party to lead the way.
Signed
Terry Hooper"
The "considered" council response was exactly the same as I received from the Labour led City Council for years:
"Hello Terry
"Thanks for raising this issue. Your figures are worrying and I know will concern many people.
It does, however, look like you’re giving a cumulative total not an indication of how many collisions there are each year in each place – maybe an annual tally can help make the case for road safety improvements at specific sites? Bear in mind these are always judged against all the other the projects vying for road safety funds and a cost-benefit approach is used, whether we like it or not.
"Of course we want to ensure nature protection and recovery in the city and beyond. The city council is part of the West of England Nature Recovery Strategy which was developed and launched in autumn with support from us. One of the locations you mention is Hicks Gate which isn’t in the city itself, though, unless you’re looking along the road within the boundary.
"After signing the One City Ecological Emergency Declaration we have committed to managing more of the city’s land for wildlife and are actively seeking funds that can be used to do this - eg Nature in Cities [a bid we are awaiting news about]. While we’d like to have more funds we’re currently almost totally dependent on external grants or project monies for both nature and transport projects after 15 years of shrinking real terms budgets in local government. Capital projects like tunnelling will be hard to deliver when most of the funds are for land management so finding grants or sponsorship might be essential.
"There are groups around the city promoting conservation and animal safety already, like the campaigners warning about hedgehogs crossing roads too. Sadly after I looked into this I found the current regulations only provide for official warning signs if there’s evidence cars have been damaged by collision, not the animals. I recently helped get clarity on whether the council or the Environment Agency is responsible for a grating stopping otters move along a stream under Hengrove Way, which is a first step towards seeing if it can be replaced to allow safe passage.
"The recent preoccupation of the council on setting a legally balanced budget is very much how we have to operate at present. If this hadn’t been achieved through all the efforts that led to a successful cross party vote in the council then government commissioners would come in and cancel services, asset strip the authority, and be in control of what takes place. The other councils facing this now have lost local democratic control or if they managed to avoid this they are now loaded with more debt and higher council tax, but little chance of any local discretion in non statutory services. This is not a situation I think you’d want to see when asking for us to prioritise investment including more traffic calming and road safety schemes.
"I’m sorry it’s not what we want to see but in our cross party committees we’re currently dependent on finding ways to progress our ambitions within all the current constraints and budget problems we have inherited. What I can promise is that if any opportunities appear to do something I shall look at them and if we can then persuade the committee to agree we can progress some projects. We’re also pressing he government to follow through with the enhanced protections the propose Climate and Nature Bill would bring since statutory obligations should lead to better funding.
"I hope this is some help and clarifies the things we’re trying to do to respond to wildlife loss at present despite the restrictions we face.
Regards,
Martin
Cllr Martin Fodor"
My question ios this: can Protect the Wild, IFAW or even the national Green Party help fund wildlife safety fixtures or put any pressure on either BCC or the current government to get funds allocated for this purpose because the foxes for which the City is well known and the urban badgers that have survived so much to be on the verge of extirpation?
The fact that Bristol City Council has never had any form of appointed wildlife expert to keep it updated and informed while it continues to draw in more construction on established wildlife land is a major problem. As the end of this year I will no longer be compiling either death register as we all know these animals are being wiped out but it seems that facts and figures hold no sway so it is easier to just watch as the situation unfolds.
Please if there is any way you can help it would be most welcome.
Sincerely,
Terry Hooper
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