Badger deaths: just how common is roadkill along Sheffield's highways?

[Dannyno 19]

I've thought the same for decades. However, someone once told me that even if a protected species is dead it is still unlawful to use the creature. Is that right? For instance, I understand that you would require some form of licence if you wanted to stuff the creature. It does seem an awful waste to let something decay that could be put to use in some way.

 

Perhaps the bristles for shaving brushes now come from farmed badgers, or from Europe instead?

 

It is a waste, but the alternative is that there's still a market for the killing of protected species.

 

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and Protection of Badgers Act 1992 both prohibit possession of dead protected animals, unless the animal hadn't been killed, or hadn't been killed illegally. The wording is very similar between the two laws.

 

I see no requirement that you need a licence to stuff a badger, but you might have to account for how you came by the corpse if the police took an interest.

[cookingfat50 10]

on the dronfield by-pass there were 5 badgers dead on the side of the road all on different days they are very common on that road between the bowshaw round about and the Whittington moor round about, they must be from one family . but what can you do Derbyshire council should come out within 24 hrs to move them. also there is the odd fox, squirrel, and stoat are common x

[Alcoblog 10]

A friend of mine hit a rhino of all things, some time ago whilst driving (her, not the rhino). It was just there, in the middle of the road.

[sedith 19]

Allegedly some farmers will kill badgers and then throw them into the road to make it look like road kill. I have never come across a badger even though I have hit a rabbit, fox, bird and had a deer run out in front if me. A badger never.

I'm on the west Somerset/north Devon border and this happens regularly, dead Badgers at the side of the road ... in fact the local farmers will confirm that they have been shot and dragged to the edge of the highway and this is done in addition to the cull, it has to be due to the damage they cause and the TB issue. I once hit a badger crossing the road, it destroyed the undertray on the car at a cost of £140 and the bloody thing ran off after a direct hit!

[RonJeremy 10]

I'm on the west Somerset/north Devon border and this happens regularly, dead Badgers at the side of the road ... in fact the local farmers will confirm that they have been shot and dragged to the edge of the highway and this is done in addition to the cull, it has to be due to the damage they cause and the TB issue. I once hit a badger crossing the road, it destroyed the undertray on the car at a cost of £140 and the bloody thing ran off after a direct hit!

 

They do a lot of damage. They are very solid indeed. Mine cost at least 500 to put right. Badger didn't run off mind.

[Event Horizo 10]

Had a weird experience a few months ago. Was driving up the A43 dual carriageway past silverstone at night. For some reason i started thinking about an animal crossing the road.

1 minute later a Badger ran across the road. I didn't have time to swerve so literally held the wheel straight and he hit me across the front left wheel. Made a right mess of my splitter and wheel arch. The noise was awful too. crunch crunch. At least it was quick i suppose.

[Stoatwobbler 10]

I've seen live ones on the road - and they've got absolutely no road sense at all, barely any clue what's going on around them. Very different from brighter animals like foxes and cats.

 

I've seen a badger crossing the road where I live. It crossed the road very slowly and when a car came towards it it just stood it's ground and snarled.

 

Badgers are not small creatures, and you really don't want to hit one of those when driving through the countryside.

[cookingfat50 10]

A friend of mine hit a rhino of all things, some time ago whilst driving (her, not the rhino). It was just there, in the middle of the road.

 

yer you often get hippo's, elephant, a pack of hyena's and wild dogs on the road x

[tonkatoy 10]

on the dronfield bypass going towards chesterfield weve seen at least 3 dead badgers in the last month

 

It is pretty rare to drive down there without spotting a dead badger or a dead fox.

[Bodie 11]

I've hit all kinds of wildlife and couldn't avoid any of them. I don't do it deliberately but if I was to swerve and try to avoid I would probably cause severe devastation.

[Dardandec 32]

Ah well that's where they get you see, they pretend to be dead to make sure they don't get hit by any passing vehicles or anything, very clever

Edited April 24, 2015 by Dardandec

[Guest makapaka]

Badgers aren't protected are they? Aren't they culling them due to bovine tb?