Results From The Bristol
Fox Deaths and Bristol
Badger Deaths Registers 2025
Compiled by Terry Hooper
British Fox Study (f 1976) and Bristol Badger Group (f 1994)
blacktowercg@hotail.com
With thanks to Sarah Mills and to those vets who have progressed
beyond the “just foxes” attitude. Also
to Vale Wildlife
Hospital who have helped treat and
save the lives of foxes from Bristol.
Introduction.
2025 saw a record number of fox deaths within the City and County of Bristol with the greatest numbers killed
by motor vehicles speeding and refusal by the City Council to tackle the
problem.
When I started the British Fox Study I assumed that over the
years more people would become interested in foxes and that citizens would become
more active. We have feeders and also people who simply treat foxes and badgers
as photo opportunities. The total lack of support from the large number of
wildlife groups in the region has been very noticeable. There are, of course,
individuals who will help out as and when they can and they deserve praise.
Just how many foxes may be dying onb Bristol roads we have tried to determine
based on known statistical trends. Even though this is not a 100% accurate
figure even if cut by 50% it is concerning and yet, for a City boasting of its
environmental status and wildlife loving credentials, very few seem to
care. Each year the totals are released
and other than one or two “Likes” the overwhelming trend is apathy and if
wildlife groups are like this then it is
no surprise that species in the UK
are in decline.
Sarah Mills, the Bristol Fox Lady, has worked tirelessly and
has managed to treat and save so many foxes.
When you read the statistics just remember that this is one
City and County and that fox death totals nation wide would be staggering.
Badger deaths totals are just terrible to think about since the vast majority
of deaths are based on bad science and political game playing.
Like the hedgehog, the badger and foxes are heading for
extinction and the truth is that very few people care.
The 2025 Deaths
Registers Analysis.
Despite pro hunt "conservation" groups and their
often repeated claims in the press the fox population in the UK is far from
"booming" and every night men and women go out to shoot anything they
find with foxes being popular. This is
done simply for 'fun' because according to the law foxes can be killed only
when threatening live stock and with no livestock within miles of where these
people often congregate for their 'sport' there is no legitimacy to the
constant killing.
What the total number of fox deaths is we cannot say. The
attitude is that “If it’s dead why report it”
or people are just suffering self induced blindness to the dead animals
they see. It was decided that, based on
the total number of deaths at the time, AI analysis would be used to attempt to
find a total.
It wass estimated that the actual number of fox road deaths
based on the 360 reported incidents would likely be in the range of 4,320 to 5,760 deaths, as reported incidents represent a significant
underestimate of the true figure. Research
indicates that a substantial discrepancy between reported and actual
wildlife road casualties and studies are
suggesting that the actual death rate can be 12 to 16 times higher than
the number of corpses counted, especially from a moving vehicle.
This discrepancy is due to various factors, including
predator removal of carcasses, road type, traffic volume, time of day, and
weather conditions.
Applying the 12-16 times multiplier to your reported number
of 360 you find that:
Lower estimate: 360 reported deaths * 12 = 4,320 actual deaths
Upper estimate: 360 reported deaths * 16 = 5,760 actual deaths
Overall, the actual number is likely far higher than the
number of publicly reported incidents, which often only capture a small
fraction of total wildlife road mortality. To be honest those totals were
slightly higher than I had estimated and even halving the totals it is still a
staggering loss.
I then used AI to try to estimate the number of badger
deaths covering all of the Badger Death Registers and the AI response was again
shocking:
If you have 222
reported badger road deaths, the actual number is significantly higher, as most
wildlife fatalities go unreported. All estimates
suggest tens of thousands of badgers die on UK roads yearly, so your 222 is a
valuable sample for tracking trends but represents a tiny fraction, requiring
extrapolation (like 10-20x) to guess
total impact, though the Badger Trust uses such reports to estimate over 50,000
badgers annually.
If we multiply 222 by 10 then we have an estimate of 2,220. Taking 222 and multiplying by 20 we have
an estimated total of 4,440. Considering
the personal communications with drivers, locals and others I would suggest
that 2,220 is ‘acceptable’ but even
halving that figure to 1,110 should concern anyone with an interest in conservation and the environment.
When it comes to post mortem studies of dead badgers none of
those reported underwent one. From the very outset I was told an outright lie
both verbally and via email by the pathologist involved. I was told that no
necropsy could be carried out due to Health and Safety Executive ruling based
oin the ‘risk’ from Bovine TB. Only in very suspicious de4aths could a necropsy
be carried out and that would need to be in the pathologists garden away from
the pathology lab.
It has emerged since that while I was being told this badger
necropsies (badger origins unknown) were being carried out at the lab and still
are. For this reason every dead badger was assessed as killed by road traffic
which seemed likely considering where they were found. The exception being a
badger found at the bottom of a small cliff after severe weather.
That there is a burgeoning population of foxes is a lie and
statistics released by pro hunt groups are meant to bolster that lie. It was the same thing that Hunts did in the
1940s through to the 1960s and pro hunt 'naturalists' made it very clear (with
a wink and chuckle) that the figures
were exaggerated. If you bear that in mind:
“An estimated 70,000 to 80,000 foxes are killed annually by
gamgekeepers (a proxy for "UK shooters") in Britain, according to
data from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT)” -which, it needs to
be pointed out is a pro hunt
organisation and thusly recognised as being hunt biased.
The total number of foxes killed by all forms of shooting
(by gamekeepers and other individuals) is more difficult to quantify precisely.
One older estimate suggested around 80,000 foxes were shot and retrieved each
year, with a further 115,000 deaths unaccounted for.
The older estimate goes back to when hunts were desperate
and being constantly challenged by locals as well as by politicians and in the press in the 1950s-1960s and the
quoted figures given are taken out of context and without explanation from my own
work!
One might ask how you can take "a further 115,000
deaths unaccounted for" ?
How can you state 115,000 dead foxes are "unaccounted
for"? Either you have reports of those 115,000 dead foxes or it is a clear
pointer to someone doctoring the numbers to keep the killing of foxes as being
needed.
The truth is that fox numbers declined throughout the 20th
century due to hunting and in many parts of Wales there are no foxes -wildlife
photographers travel from across Wales to Bristol just to photograph foxes and
will tell you that "We rarely get to see foxes in Wales" -one reason
probably being snaring adding to the numbers killed.
There is no precise current official figure for foxes killed
by snares in the UK, but estimates suggest a significant number, with older
data pointing to tens of thousands (e.g., 9,500+ in 1995, or up to 39,000
managed by gamekeepers with 25% trapped by snares, potentially 9,750 annually).
More broadly, reports indicate potentially millions of animals caught annually,
with some sources suggesting up to 1.7 million animals (including foxes) caught
in snares across England and
Wales,
highlighting the significant scale, though exact fox numbers remain elusive.
Then we have rodenticide deaths that affect many species
that prey on rodents:
Exposure Rates are High: Studies analyzing fox livers have
consistently found high rates of anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) residues. One
study from the late 1990s found that 46% of a sample of 100 foxes had been
exposed to rodenticides, and ten had died directly from the poisoning. More
recent research (2011-2022) shows that exposure rates to some specific
second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), such as brodifacoum, may
have increased since the introduction of stewardship schemes, with 43% of foxes
exposed.
Secondary Poisoning: Foxes are primarily affected by
secondary poisoning, which occurs when they eat poisoned rodents (such as rats
and mice). Direct poisoning of foxes is illegal in Britain.
Sentinel Species: Foxes are considered a "sentinel
species," meaning their high exposure levels act as an indicator of the
widespread presence of these toxins in the environment and the risk to other
wildlife.
Difficulty in Quantification: Determining the exact number
of deaths is challenging because many poisoned foxes die in the wild or are
killed by other causes (e.g., road traffic accidents) that can mask the signs
of internal bleeding from the poison. Wildlife rescue charities frequently
report cases of poisoned foxes but formal, national statistics are not
collected.
While a precise annual number is unavailable, the high
exposure rates and frequent anecdotal reports from wildlife organisations
suggest that rodenticides are a major ongoing cause of mortality for the UK fox
population.
Leptospirosis also takes a high toll of younger foxes and
adding in "natural disease deaths" such as septicemia, kidney failure,
mastitis, parasites such as worms and mange mites, cancer and when the vixen is
killed and no other fox is around to feed cubs (an "aunt" fox or even
dog fox) starving to death comes into the death rate -called
"mismothering".
Determination of
Sex
Out of the 375 known deaths some 77 were vixens and we
cannot count the unknown number of cubs that died due to the lactating vixen
being killed. Those cub deaths are technically termed “Mismothering”.
Some 121 known deaths involved Dog foxes. The higher rate of
death may be due to the dispersal season as is usually claimed. However, the deaths seem to have been
consistently high from January to December. Various factors may be involved and
one is the male taking turns at hunting because despite popular myth a “brace”
(pair) do often stick together and in many cases there are leashes (a group of
foxes) using the same dens or that have adjacent dens.
One vixen was noted going out and returning six times and
each time carrying a rat, In other cases both dog and vixen take turns in
hunting and in some cases where there are other vixens present they act as
“Aunts” looking after cubs while the mother goes out hunting or will even bring
back food for the nursing fox. In cases
where vixens have died the dog fox has been observed attempting to feed young.
Foxes are also naturally curious and well known wanderers
when it comes to dog foxes so whereas the vixen having found a safe area to den
may take up residence there on a permanent basis (only moving if she feels there
is a threat to young cubs –at which point foxes “carrying of a pet cat” stories
emerge as the cubs are misidentified) dog foxes mated and not mated can travel
around a large area.
Causes of Death.
There are territorial fights and these can lead to infections
and untreated death as organs are affected.
Although missing pieces of ear and even the odd scar from a fight
(rather as with domestic cats fighting each other) the large number of facial
injuries seem consistent and in many cases not fight associated but due to
being swiped/hit by cars.
Leptospirosis reared its head again this year and out of all
the foxes examined since 2021 not a single case of ‘rampant’ (“in British
foxes”) adenovirus has been found. It
seems highly likely that any adenovirus was localised but as is usual amongst
rescues it was grasped at to explain all unusual fox deaths and bypass any need
to submit foxes for post mortem. This
seems reinforced by what happened after the Bristol fox deaths study when rescues again
started claiming that any ill foxes with jaundice had “rampant leptospirosis”
–just because there is jaundice present does not mean it is leptospirosis but
could be due to a number of problems such as infected wounds leading to organ
failure.
Cancer is found rarely in wild foxes but it has been noted
in the work carried out. There were a number of cases of “emaciated foxes”
dying but due to these not being allowed to be submitted there is no way of
telling whether this was due to disease or some other problem.
Mange is not a big killer, at least in Bristol now (we lost 96% of the fox
population to it in 1994/1995) as once reported it can be treated thanks to
Sarah Mills’ dedication to foxes. Prior
to her taking on Bristol
foxes the local rescue had a policy of euthenazing any fox with mange as
standard. Deaths do still occur as
people who have observed foxes losing hair to the point of baldness and getting
progressively worse do not report them until it is too late. There is
absolutely no reason for these deaths and they happen because of people who are
either anti fox or simply do not care.
Vets Attitude
Regarding Foxes
In Bristol
the once anti fox stance by vets has vanished to a degree and we have seen vets
listen and even go well beyond what would be expected including scans as part
of their first treatment of wildlife duties. A good number of vets are now more
friendly to foxes submitted and will even consult regarding sick foxes.
This is still a long way from the attitude that a leg injury
of any kind means a fox needs to be killed –three legged foxes thrive in the
wild and even raise cubs successfully.
Facial injuries we have shown can be successfully treated in the wild
and it is good to see some rescues actually treating facial wounds albeit in
foxes confined.
Another thing vets are learning is to not misjudge fox
weights when treating or medicating. Vets often vastly over estimated fox
weights basing them on pet dog standard weights. Weights should be looked at
from a cat size perspective.
Determined Weight
(kg) of Foxes
Where known we have ascertained the weight of dead foxes and
it is now standard to have any submitted to vets weighed. . For those foxes we do know the weights for 6
kgs is at the top level of weight and the 9 kgs is a rarity
Known Dog Fox Weights
1.5
1.7
2.0
2.2
2.2
3.0
3.2
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.5
3.9
3.9
4.0
4.0
4..0
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.82
4.9
4.9
5.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.5
5.5
5.5
5.7
5.7
5.9
5.9
5.9
5.9
6.0
6.0
6.0
6.1
6.2
6.2
6.2
6.4
6- 6.5
6.5
6.7
8.4
9.3
Known Vixen
Weights
1.6
1.8
2.0
2.2
2.6
2.8
2.8
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.3
3.3
3.4
3.4
3.5
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.9
3.9
3.9
4.0
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.4
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.6
4.9
5.0
5.0
5.2
5.2
5.2
5.5
5.6
NB: one fox at 4.5kg had “back end destroyed
so cannot register as dog fox
or vixen
And talking about badger deaths there are the results of the
unscientific cull of badgers in just the Avon
(we went back to City and County
of Bristol in 1995):
During the 2022 badger cull in the Avon area (Area 44),
1,162 badgers were removed by controlled shooting, exceeding the updated
minimum target of 948 badgers, with similar intense culling continuing in other
Avon zones as part of the government's
strategy to control bovine TB in cattle.
I would estimate that the number of badgers killed each year on Bristol roads is far more likely to be around 150-200.
This cannot go on as we are losing the hedgehog, the fox and
the badger in such numbers that like many other UK species they are heading for
extinction by the 2030s. We have had
extinctions before and the major extinction event was the 1860s when the wild
cats, Old type British foxes, various deer, squirrels and other species were
hunted despite it being widely written and commented on that they were going
extinct.
