Road kill

[rippleman]

I had to go up the A24 today, not a usual journey for me, and I was astounded at the amount of road kill.
I wasn't looking out for it, but saw at least 8 adult badges and about 4 foxes, and, something I've never seen in all my years, a fully grown deer at Capel.

Is there something going on with the badgers, I have heard whispers, over the years of farmers gassing badgers and dumping them by the side of roads, is this is what is happening?

Well, that's lunch sorted then!

 

[BNthree]

Heard that as well. Scum farmers. Lived in Sussed for nearly 50 years and never seen so many badgers by the side of the road. Don't know if their shot or poisoned!!!

There's 3 along eastbound A27 coming down Falmer Hill in space of about 150 metres. Never seen so many either.

 

[Brovion]

Tell you what you don't see nearly so many of as roadkill now - hedgehogs. Back in the 1970s no rural road was complete without it's patchwork of squashed hedgehogs. I guess they've all evolved to run from cars now as opposed to curling themselves up into balls. (And yes I know that isn't the real reason).

 

[JJ McClure]

I ran into one on way back from T Wells one night ...stepped out infront of me at distance of about ten yards...Dazzled by lights froze...I hardly had time to brake ..fortunately Deer was killed immediately...Shook me up and fair bit of damage to car.

Sounds similar to me, almost no chance to brake or swerve to miss the poor thing so it didn't stand a chance. Road was called Bunny Lane just south of T Wells, not once did I see a rabbit but other than me I saw two other people hit deer. Stopped driving that way to work after that.

 

[McTavish]

There's 3 along eastbound A27 coming down Falmer Hill in space of about 150 metres. Never seen so many either.

As several people have said this is a combination of more traffic and MORE badgers.

"The latest national sett survey was undertaken between November 2011 and March 2013. It estimated that there were 71,600 social groups across England and Wales, with 64,000 of these in England. This represents a 103% increase in the number of social groups in England since the 1980s (Judge et al (2013)"
The number of individual badgers is likely to have gone up even more than the number of groups as group size has been getting bigger. A previous survey showed that badger numbers had increased at more than twice the rate of family groups.

It is estimated that 50,000 badgers are killed each year by cars

 

[Lady Whistledown]

One flew across a few yards in front of us a week ago, driving down a local lane. A MASSIVE barn owl. Brilliant.

I know. It's the size of their faces, isn't it, and all that white on the underside of their feathers that makes them appear quite ghostly. I love seeing them.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Must be the farmers, simply must be.

I doubt any of them are used to hard work like digging holes, none of them would have access to agricultural machinery to dig them for them and add to that where would they dispose of the bodies, it's not like they have any land to hide them.

Obvious they would dump them next to busy roads ignoring the hedges and ditches all around in full sight of thousands of motorists.

This. No buffing required.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

This just in: there's a pheasant splattered across the centre white line of the A272 Rocky Lane in Haywards Heath this evening. Sad times. rip babes ur wiv da angles now xx

Minutes's applause v Blackburn?

 

[dazzer6666]

This just in: there's a pheasant splattered across the centre white line of the A272 Rocky Lane in Haywards Heath this evening. Sad times. rip babes ur wiv da angles now xx

Minutes's applause v Blackburn?

Find a pheasant plucker

 

[Winker]

The reason hedgehog numbers have decreased is because badger numbers have increased. Badgers are the only animal capable of opening up a curled up hedgehog and eating it. With the ending of badger culling the population has exploded and the hedgehogs have been massacred. The more dead badgers the better.

 

[Tarpon]

Are people seriously comparing dead animals with human waste? FFS

Roadkill are human waste (as are most dead animals) aren't they?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Couple of my workmates hit an owl as they drove along to a job one night. It was still alive but injured & in pain so they scooped it up, wrapped in a coat & whizzed it to a 24 hour vet.

Happy ending: the owl survived and was released to fly again once its wing had healed

The sight of an owl flying around at night is quite majestic. They're stunning creatures.

One flew across a few yards in front of us a week ago, driving down a local lane. A MASSIVE barn owl. Brilliant.

We've had that coming down the C7 from Lewes to Newhaven. It was flying ahead of us about a foot above the roof of the car. Magnificent.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

 

[BN9 BHA]

We've had that coming down the C7 from Lewes to Newhaven. It was flying ahead of us about a foot above the roof of the car. Magnificent.

I only see pheasants

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Couple of my workmates hit an owl as they drove along to a job one night. It was still alive but injured & in pain so they scooped it up, wrapped in a coat & whizzed it to a 24 hour vet.

Happy ending: the owl survived and was released to fly again once its wing had healed

The sight of an owl flying around at night is quite majestic. They're stunning creatures.

I only see pheasants

They're completely nutty. Hand reared and not a clue how to fly. They stand in the middle of the road almost daring you to run them over.

 

[BN9 BHA]

They're completely nutty. Hand reared and not a clue how to fly. They stand in the middle of the road almost daring you to run them over.

Most of them have one ambition in life, to cross the C7.

 

[Eeyore]

Not sure how many urban badgers there are but I have seen one in Hanover (flats on Grove Hill) and one in Queens Park.

 

[horshamite]

Yep, and youths with KFC and Maccy D cartons and Monster energy drinks.

Could the badgers and foxes be eating the KFC and Md's food then leaving the rubbish and cos they're so full of food (and slow) they can't get out of the way of the cars?

 

[dazzer6666]

We've had that coming down the C7 from Lewes to Newhaven. It was flying ahead of us about a foot above the roof of the car. Magnificent.

Seen one a few times in Spatham Lane........also seen it or others (in daylight) at Mid Sussex Golf Club.

What's astounding locally is the increase in the Buzzard population. They're everywhere. Magnificent birds up close.

 

[dazzer6666]

Could the badgers and foxes be eating the KFC and Md's food then leaving the rubbish and cos they're so full of food (and slow) they can't get out of the way of the cars?

'Save the Badgers, stop feeding them fast food'
'Stop Badger Obesity Now'