Working With Avon Wildlife Trust?

 

AWT I am indifferent to. They had Ashton Vale designated a Wildlife Deprivation Zone when I moved here in 1994. In my first night I observed low flying barn owls, hedgehogs, two foxes walking up the road, bats etc. Next day I saw a woodpecker, collared doves, wood pigeons, finches, great and Blue Tits and more.

After a month of wildlife surveying I sent a report to AWT who told me that I needed to join before any of my data could be looked at.

After B&M opened in Winterstoke Road I was accosted by a young fella looking to get people to join AWT and he very knowledgably informed me "Did you know this was a wildlife deprivation zone?" I looked out of the doorway and said to him

"What do you see outside?" Puzzled he shrugged. I pointed to the lamp post fitted rat traps , I pointed to the two wood pigeons, a large number of crows, three types of sea gull I then offered to show him the hedgehog droppings I had passed on the grass outside the strore.

He turned and asked the next person through the doors whether they had considered joining AWT to "help bring wildlife to the area".

I have never had any response to copies of the badger and fox deaths registers I sent nor the fox death study results.

When I asked AWT for some kind of support in asking Bristol City Council to look into ways to cut down wildlife deaths I was told they couldn't do that. Asking whether they could pass on any fox or badger death reports they received (three times) -nope.

I started the Fox Study Project in 1976 and AWT has never shown any interest-my work is better known internationally than in my own City. My badger work is also know outside the UK as is my work on wild cats and feral cats. None of which has ever interested AWT and certainly never BRERC,

We need people out there working to protect and study wildlife and the environment and far less time fund raising. I may come across as a miserable sod but when we live in one of the worst countries for wildlife I think I am allowed to be.

The Stupidity of the UK Law on a Protected Species

 

 Here is how ridiculous UK law is regarding badger and badger sett protection. 

Excluding the deaths due to cars and illegal farmer practices, the UK has legally killed over 300,000 badgers based on very bad science relating to badgers and bovine TB -for which the badger is recognised as a scape goat species; hiding bad animal husbandry practices. If -if- we are lucky it will take decades for badgers to recover in numbers if they escape extinction.

If we find a dead lactating sow near to a badger sett and it is clear that there are young cubs in the sett that are going to starve and die... we have to let them. DEFRA made this very clear to me in 2024 when it told me that to rescue cubs, whose mother was dead, from a sett would legally be seen as "tampering with a protected sett" and a prosecution would ensue. "If you can place food nearby and entice them out then you can rescue them" I was told.

Meanwhile, on a Face Book UK badger group one moron is seen sitting on and next to a sett enticing badgers with food and... DEFRA does nothing. Incidentally, I face some very nasty abuse from the group owner/moderator and members for pointing out the activity was illegal (I was banned from the group).

This is the story from 2024:

The Story of Badger Watch UK: Can We Win When 'Wildlife' Groups Encourage Animal Endangerment? UPDATE

Whoops! I got banned again.

Well, I got suspended from a fox group on which I was the top contributor and only found

out when I tried to answer someone's fox health problem.

There were photographs in the group and videos of people calling foxes into houses and one

man who was a 'hero" getting a fox to come to him and put its paws on his knees. I pointed

out that this was something dangerous for the fox and then came all the angry comments.

I politely explained the problems it could cause and ended by saying if people actually loved

foxes they needed to treat them as wild animals not pets. However, the group Everything Fox

is a one that promotes what is essentially wildlife abuse in amongst its constant jabbering to

"FEED THEM!" (apparently fox cubs playing and making vocalisations is them "begging for

food").

The last group I was suspended then banned from was Badger Watch UK where I commented

on a man who films/photographs badgers while sitting on top of their sett feeding them and

allowing 6-7 at a time to scramble over him. The group admins responded by sending childish

Gifs and memes then blocked me.

This is wildlife abuse and its just a shame that people on the groups do not speak up when

they see what is happening but stay silent otherwise they don't get to see the pretty fox/badger

photos. When I see obese foxes I know that there is a generation losing its disease immunity

and passing on that lack of immunity to its young.

---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------

Boris the Badger and Friends is a Face Book page that promotes the habituation and hand 

feeding of badgers in close proximity to the actual badger sett. On the 2nd April 2024 the man 

posted a video of him sitting amongst a group of 6-7 badgers and hand feeding.

I had previously (twice) been very polite and asked him to stop as he was habituating badgers 

to humans and the hand feeding is something that really ought to be made illegal.

Sitting near a sett and hand feeding badgers -"only one ever comes close" (c)2024 Boris the 

Badger

His constant response is that the "badger" only came out shyly to him. This was a lie because 

all of the badgers in the video he talks about how several were climbing over him. Previous 

videos showed the same thing.  I decided that a much firmer approach to the problem was 

needed and pointed out that his activities were putting the badgers safety at risk. I also pointed 

out that using his ISP it was possible to track down his street and from there work out where 

badgers might be.  I pointed out that, legally, he was interfering with a badger sett and that 

could involve his being prosecuted. I ended by asking him to PLEASE stop what he was

 doing.

Then I received this notification along with its rather immature added note. 

 I sent a copy of this notification to all three admins but one blocks any messages so great

admin there! There seemed to be no sense in this since I was listed as a "top contributor" on

Badger Watch UK -in fact I was the only person actively helping people with badger issues.

I assumed there must be an error somewhere.Here is what I sent the only two admins who were contactable:

"I am writing to you as an Admin on Badger Watch UK. It seems that I am accused of "threatening a member" I will make it clear that I did not threaten to do anything other than to report the danger he was putting wildlife -badgers- in and breaking the law at the same time. We need to protect badgers and stop them from being habituated to humans. Sitting on the ground near a badger sett and feeding the badgers in the way he has videoed is also ethically wrong. I deal with badgers killed because they do not see humans as a threat and the member in question may well be a "star" but he is not helping badgers and I am shocked that admins feel pointing this out is threatening. Humans, whoever they are, cannot be encouraged to do this when we urge people to report people around protected badger setts. "

Krister Ardem and admin: "Telling someone you've traced their address via their ISP is definitely threatening"

So I replied and suspect I am going to be kicked off because the attitude was very odd:

"No it was pointing out that it is not hard to use that to track what street he is on and use that to pinpoint where likely locations of badgers are. That is alerting him to how easy the wrong people can find badgers if they want to. I DID NOT state I had tracked his address just that the ISP leads to info that shows his street. That is not a legal definition of a threat but safety warning. The issue here is that this is irresponsible behaviour not good for the badgers. Surely that can be seen? I have alerted Face Book and sent copies of my posts and the video clip I saved and explained that I have been banned for 24 hours because I take an accusation of threatening someone seriously as does FB who pick up these things. If you would sooner have anti wildlife behaviour videos to trying to explain to people how to keep badgers safe then the fight to save badgers is lost."

Krister Ardem "You said you'd traced his street in less than 30 minutes. He's been working with badgers for more than 40 years so why be so attacking and not discuss amicably? Now you're trying to threaten BWUK admins for muting you as a punishment, saying you've disagreed with what is clearly intimidating behaviour. I'm sure Facebook will have a good laugh at your complaint. Before throwing it right into the bin where it belongs."

It was as though I had somehow upset people who are supposed to care for badgers by pointing out that someone was doing something that could harm badgers. I was still trying to help smooth things over though:

"If you go back I have been very polite to him and explained why he should not be doing this. I have tried privately as well and I have worked in wildlife since 1977 so well before his work -whatever that is as I can find no name or published papers. the whole reason I stopped checking on badger setts is because someone tracked me down in a similar way.

"I have actually had a response from FB (note: I received a notification from them about my ban which was why I contacted them) and they were not laughing and I have no idea why you are saying I am threatening BWUK admins?? I get a feeling you just want me to leave the group because this is getting ridiculous with the word threat being thrown everywhere. If ALL the admins agree that a field naturalist with decades of experience is not wanted but social media likes are then ALL admins should agreed to remove me."

In all honesty it was quite simple. I had spoken out against one of their "stars" who got lots of "Likes" for his videos and that, to the admins, was unacceptable and whatever I wrote I was "threatening" anyone and everyone. What I was not expecting was the very immature response to my last message:

So I responded: "That is very immature as a response and you seem to be baiting me for some reason but I stand by what I wrote and the fact that we have to protect badgers"

Sadly, Ardem really was as immature as his responses suggested as he sent this meme next:

I was still trying to be polite but Ardem then blocked me. As did the only other admin on FB.  Basically, they knew they were in t5he wrong and supporting an habituator for social media likes and had no way of responding so were turning every and any word into a "threat"   In fact, it seems that Ardem was not aware of the social media "You Lose the argument" rule. That last meme was it!   

So I waited to see what happened but I had been immediately removed from the group. Boris the Badger and Friends blocked me on all social media -as well as someone else who tried to explain why he should not feed the badgers the way he was.

"only one badger comes near me"  (c)2024 Boris the Badger

And to emphasise the point: 

"only one badger comes near me"  (c)2024 Boris the Badger

 This is wrong on so many counts but as with many social media groups  covering foxes and other wild animals this is encouraged and "Boris" even gets a much cherished "Rising star"  at the top of his FB page. Wrong is wrong and these people know it but want the social media likes and ****  the wildlife.

Unfortunately for Badger Watch UK and Boris the Badger and Friends you post publicly then those photographs are available on any search engine (four to be exact as I tried them all to make sure)

                                                                               fin

When it comes to rescuing badger cubs from a sett I say go for it if the mother is dead. It is up to the personal conscience of those involved and  DEFRA' can swivel on its office chair.

STOP! CHECK! REPORT!

 

We hit 100 dead foxes (reported) in Bristol on Wednesday. Today I listed foxes 101 and 102 and awaiting info on (possibly) 103.

When vixens die and they are lactating then cubs die. We've had cases in the past of where very young cubs have just been seen wondering about eating any vegetation they can -usually twigs.

Whatever part of the country you are ion (or outside the UK):

PLEASE do not be that ignorant "I really do not care" driver/walker. If you find a dead fox or collapsed fox check if it is lactating (extended teats) and REPORT it asap as cubs may need rescuing.

Earth Day... 24 Hours To Fund Raise

 

"Earth Day"

Earth is here for more than one day. Fund raiser, chance to get attention for whatever.

BUT there are people who try to save the environment and species 365 days of the year, every year. That doesn't matter, though as the "big bodies" don't make cash from them.

CARE about the planet 365 days a year not do something one day and feel proud you have "just saved the Earth"

In fact, for the UK it is just two faced hypocrisy as people dig up hedgerows and trees are cut down to make drive ways for their cars or gardens are concreted over because "less hassle to maintain" and wildlife homes are destroyed because "We want the fox and cubs out so we can put down new decking/a new shed" and "How do I get rid of the badgers in my garden?"

To put it bluntly; the UK is a shit hole when it comes to protecting the environment and wildlife and I've been working on this 50 years so I've seen the rot set in.

Fox Death 100 Recorded

 

It is sad to think that it is only the 22nd April and we have reached 100 dead foxes reported. With lactating vixens dying the death toll would be much higher if we knew the number of cubs they had that would die once the mother was gone.

100              Wednesday 22 04  2026   Stoke Bishop Bristol BS9 1DZ

Vixen 4.7kg Collapsed in a garden. Strong smell of infection but no external wounds.

After arriving at vets puss like blood came out of nose Vet wasn't sure but fox was too poorly to save Pts at Highcroft Shirehampton

When I saw The Figures...It Drained Me

 Was going to write a post but got distracted and checked three of the fox/canid blogs blogs for all time views:

Total views on the blogs is 192, 239.

Sales of The Red Paper................ 0

That quite literally drained my energy so no post!

Over 192K views of the blog but no interest in the actual published work?

The Fox. No One Is Really Interested in the Species

 

 Well, I heard from two people in Europe that my fox work is unique. I find that hard to believe but then I got the latest response from Germany re. the Fox Death Study resaults:

Dear Terry,

 

Thank you for your message to NABU.

 

NABU does not conducting any specific research into foxes currently, and unfortunately we are not aware of any other projects that investigate the various causes of death among foxes in more detail.

 

Data on fox hunting bag figures and road traffic accidents is collected by the German Hunting Association (Deutscher Jagdverband): Jagd- und Wildunfallstatistik | Deutscher Jagdverband

The IZW in Berlin deals with wildlife diseases in Germany in general. They may also have data on diseases affecting foxes: Department of Wildlife Diseases - Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research

 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.

 

Kind regards

 

Janice Pahl

Referentin

Naturschutzkommunikation

__________________________________________________

 

NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland) e.V.

Bundesgeschäftsstelle

We are in the year 2026 and and bleat on relentlessly about wildlife welfare in third world countries yet ignore our native wildlife.

This explains why zoologists in  Norway have no idea that large "mountain foxes" were exported to England -none have done the research. It explains why zoologists just think EU DNA in foxes and other UK species is normal -they have no idea of the mass importing of animals to continue hunting after native species were exterminated. It shows why, despite the historical pictorial evidence for there having been an Old fox type in Western Europe zoologists believe there have only ever been red foxes (Vulpes vulpes).

It is far easier to teach and keep pushing established dogma than it is to spend years accumulating files and reading through old books and journals AND scientific papers.

We are in the year 2026 and and bleat on relentlessly about wildlife welfare in third world countries yet ignore our native wildlife.

Shameful

Genital Infections in Red Fox Cubs

  I get asked some odd questions. In the last three days I have had people ask me about genital infections in fox cubs. Luckily I keep all sorts of strange info so here you go.

(c)2026 British Veterinary Association

Genital infections and related issues in fox cubs, particularly within the context of wildlife rehabilitation, often stem from environmental factors, infections from the mother, or lack of proper maternal care.

• Canine Herpesvirus (CHV): While studies show CHV is pathogenic to European red foxes, causing respiratory disease and mortality in adult experiments, it is also known to be shed in genital secretions and can be fatal to young cubs.

• Parasitic Infection (Toxoplasmosis): Fox cubs are highly susceptible to Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite can be passed from a vixen to her unborn cubs (prenatal infection). It can cause neurological symptoms, such as lack of fear and coordination, and can be fatal.

• Maternal Care and Hygiene: In the first two weeks of life, fox cubs cannot urinate or defecate on their own; they rely on their mother to lick their genital and rectal areas (perineum) to stimulate the perigenital-bladder reflex. Lack of this stimulation (e.g., if the mother dies) can cause severe, fatal retention of waste products, which may be mistaken for or complicate genital infections.

• Infections from Dehydration/Wounds: Rescued cubs are frequently found dehydrated or with injuries from predators or netting. These wounds can become infected and, in some cases, occur on or near the hindquarters.

• Worm Burdens: Young fox cubs are more susceptible to internal parasites, such as hookworms (Uncinaria stenocephala) and roundworms (Toxocara canis), with high worm burdens found in cubs compared to adults. These can lead to weakened immune systems and increased susceptibility to other illnesses. 

   ScienceDirect.com +8

Rehabilitation centres frequently treat these infections with antibiotics and supportive care, particularly for dehydrated or injured cubs.

Hong Kong Foxes

 

Because physical evidence would prove what I believe I sent this to the Hong Kong Biodiversity Museum:

Hello.

My name is Terry Hooper and I specialise in wild canids -I set up the British Fox and Wild Canid Study in 1976. For some years I have tried to find anyone with a taxidermy specimen or photograph of the fox that once lived in Hong Kong. I wondered whether your Museum might have either? What I found out I posted on my blog. I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Terry

https://foxwildcatwolverineproject.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-hong-kong-fox-now-we-can-identify-it.html

Dog Foxes Are Loyal but Vixens Are More "Liberal"!

 

A long-term study led by Professor Stephen Harris and his team at the University of Bristol uncovered surprising behavioral patterns in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes).

After radio collar tracking urban fox populations for over 25 years, the research found that Dog foxes are remarkably loyal, often staying single for the rest of their lives if they lose their mate. This loyalty was thought to be linked to Dog fox role in raising offspring and maintaining territory stability.

Vixens, whose reproductive success depends on securing a mate each breeding season, tend to form new partnerships relatively quickly.

The study highlights the contrasting strategies between the dog fox and vixens: while males invest in long-term pair bonds and territorial defense, females prioritize reproductive timing and opportunity.

This research offers rare insight into the complex emotional and social dynamics of wild animals and challenges the assumption that monogamy is rare in mammals.

Fox tactics could inspire territorial design

 

Press release issued:

10 March 2011

A new study into the exclusion tactics adopted by urban foxes suggests that the transient nature of animal territory is a result of a complex system of individual-level interactions.

The size of an animal’s territory is ultimately dependent on how long it can exert its control before intruders cross the boundaries into its space. The precise nature of such changeable territorial boundaries is revealed in a new study which offers fresh insights from the combined perspectives of biological sciences, mathematics and engineering.

Researchers from the University of Bristol used thirty years of data regarding the movements of the urban red fox to construct and verify a mathematical model on which their analysis was based.  A trade-off between two factors emerged as key determinants of territoriality – the time necessary for an animal to move between its own boundaries and the time span during which the fox could maintain its scent trail within that territory.

In 1994, when a disease called sarcoptic mange infected and killed most of Bristol's fox population, Professor Stephen Harris noticed that as the animals on one territory died, the neighbouring animals were able to move in and take over within a matter of three or four days. He assumed that this was because the scent marks of the original fox population were no longer fresh.

This new study, published in PLoS Computational Biology, shows how important it is for a fox to renew its scent marks frequently, further demonstrating the transient nature of populations, and disputing previously held beliefs that scent marks serve as a long-term message and indicator of territorial boundaries.

Lead author Dr Luca Giuggioli, a Complexity Sciences lecturer in the Department of Engineering Mathematics and the School of Biological Sciences, said: “Understanding how organisms move and interact has implications far beyond behavioural ecology. This model may, for instance, shed light on the processes responsible for the formation of territorial boundaries in early human hunter-gatherer societies, and eventually help predict how the size of modern day countries will evolve.”

Co-author Jonathan Potts added: “Our theoretical framework might also inspire designs in collective robotics. From very simple rules, the individuals divide space into territories, and if one individual should fail, its territory is taken over. Building an army of territorial robots that move according to these rules could be an efficient and robust way to deal with dangerous tasks over a wide spatial area, such as clearing minefields.”

Dr Giuggioli added: “This study is one classic example in which answering a biological question with the help of Complexity Sciences tools provides far reaching results, challenging long-held preconceptions and opening up the possibilities in areas of science unrelated to where the questions originated.”

Paper: Animal interactions and the emergence of animal territoriality, by Luca Giuggioli, Jonathan Potts, Stephen Harris.  Published in PLoS Computation Biology.

Ljungan Virus and Foxes

 

 Ljungan Virus is quite "a thing" at the moment with a lot of research being carried out -not for wildlife health but human -that attracts the money.

With our necropsy study we found that babesia and leptospirosis were heavy hitters amongst foxes so it  only makes sense that as foxes main prey are rodents such as rats, voles, etc I at least mention the topic (it has been noted in Red Foxes but sadly the UK is far from open when it comes to research papers -unlike the US or Europe.

From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljungan_virus

Ljungan virus was first discovered in the mid-1990s after being isolated from a bank vole near the Ljungan river in Medelpad county, Sweden.^[2] It has since been established that Ljungan virus, which is also found in several places in Europe and America, causes serious illness in wild as well as laboratory animals.^[3][4][5][6] Several scientific articles have recently reported findings indicating that Ljungan virus is associated with malformations, intrauterine fetal death, and sudden infant death syndrome in humans.^{[7][8][9][10]} In addition, studies are being conducted worldwide to investigate the possible connection of the virus to diabetes, neurological and other illnesses in humans.^[11][12]

Ljungan virus belongs to the genus Parechovirus of the family Picornaviridae. Other members of this viral family include poliovirus, Hepatitis A virus, and the viruses that cause the common cold (rhinovirus).^[13] One of the earliest scientific discoveries regarding Ljungan virus was that infected wild rodents developed diabetes if they were exposed to stress.^[14] This has led to speculation that this disease may be the underlying cause of fluctuating rodent populations in Scandinavia; when rodents increase to high densities, they find it difficult to defend territory and obtain food, and then become more susceptible to predation. This stressful situation results in disease, death and population decline, leading to a pattern of cyclic variation in population size over time.^[4]

There was a 2014 paper (see abstract below)

Ljungan virus is endemic in rodents in the UK

Anne-Marie Salisbury 1, Michael Begon, Winifred Dove, Bo Niklasson, James P Stewart

. 2014 Mar;159(3):547-51.

 doi: 10.1007/s00705-013-1731-6. Epub 2013 May 12.

abstract

"Ljungan virus is a recently identified member of the family Picornaviridae that was isolated from bank voles in Sweden. LjV has been associated with [corrected] type 1 diabetes-like symptoms and myocarditis in bank voles (Myodes glareolus), and it has been suggested that it has zoonotic potential. 

"Here, we show for the first time that Ljungan virus is prevalent (20-27 % positive by PCR) in four species of UK rodent (Myodes glareolus [bank vole], Apodemus sylvaticus [wood mouse], Microtus agrestis [field vole] and Mus musculus [house mouse]). 

"Sequence analysis showed that Ljungan virus of genotypes 1 and 2 were present, although genotype 1 was more prevalent and more frequently associated with brain tissue.

"This study highlights the prevalence of Ljungan virus in the UK and the need for assessment [corrected] of its zoonotic potential."