Vets dismiss 'unrealistic spin' on badger vaccination

THE British Veterinary Association (BVA) has described claims that badger vaccination represents a viable alternative to culling as ‘unrealistic spin’.

The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has published a report into its summer badger vaccination programme, which took place at seven of its nature reserves, including a dairy farm over a total area of 170 hectares.

In total 38 badgers were trapped and vaccinated at the seven sites. The first year capital cost of the project, which will be spread over a number of years, was £6,958 and the implementation cost was £7,110. The report said the average cost of the project equated to £51/ha.

“We are delighted with the results. The report provides proof that there is an affordable and viable alternative to the proposed cull,” the trust’s chief executive Dr. Gordon McGlone said.

He said it demonstrates that if groups of land owners join together to vaccinate badgers it would ‘become affordable with no associated negative impact’.

“Culling, as its most vocal supporters admit, may increase bTB in neighbouring herds through perturbation and as yet has no proven benefit,” he said.

The report suggest ways in which badger vaccination could be made cheaper, such as the removal of the Certificate of Competence costs and also recommends a free bTB vaccine advisory service is set up.

However, the BVA said the wildlife trust was giving a misleading impression of the benefits of vaccination.

BVA president Carl Padgett welcomed the initiative to investigate the deployment of the badger vaccine.

“But this work must not be confused with an investigation into the effectiveness of the badger vaccine in reducing or eradicating bovine TB,” he said.

“To conclude from this report that the badger vaccine is a viable alternative to culling in eradicating TB is unrealistic at best and spin at worst.

“The fact remains that the vaccine has no protective effect on infected badgers and we know that at least 30-40 per cent of badgers within an area will be infected. Many young badgers will be infected before they can be trapped and injected.

He said much more will be learnt from Defra’s Badger Vaccine Deployment Project which is looking at a much larger area of 100 sq km.

“Vaccination of badgers certainly has a role to play in an effective TB eradication programme but it is only one tool in the toolbox,” he said.

http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/latest-news/vets-dismiss-unrealistic-spin-on-badger-vaccination/42286.article

Wildwood joins the fight to save Britain's badgers from the cull

Wildwood Trust is very disappointed that the Government has given a green light to new proposals to allow landowners to shoot badgers.

Wildwood Trust very much recognises Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) as a significant problem that causes hardship for many in the farming community, but believes that blaming badgers for bTB is just a scapegoat for the industry to avoid their responsibilities and avoid the cost of bTB control, while at the same time collecting huge subsidies from the taxpayer.

Peter Smith, Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive stated:

“Wildwood Trust is coming to the defence of badgers as they are used as a scapegoat by an industrial farming lobby determined to hide poor farming practices, cruelty, massive taxpayer hand-outs, fraud and illegal practices that could end up in serious consequences for the British public.

The badger debate has been around for a very long time, over 40 years, but behind the simplistic headlines that badger lovers and farmers are at loggerheads is a much more complex and subtle story, a story full of intrigue and vested interests competing for economic advantage.

A whole generation of farmers and ‘country people’ have grown up being told badgers are the main problem, but have forgotten the basic epidemiological science of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). The farming lobby have found it much easier to blame badgers than address the fundamental problems of cattle farming and the poor practices that have led to the epidemic of bTB in the British cattle herd.”

A History of Cattle TB

bTB was a dangerous disease and could infect people, mostly through drinking milk. The introduction of pasteurisation effectively stopped the disease being transferred to humans. Over this time strict controls on cattle movements and herd quarantine ensured a reduction in bTB across the UK . Since the 1970s these restrictions have been relaxed and the bTB has increased due to this lack of controls.

Changes in intensive farming practices have also contributed to the epidemic, as cattle live in larger and more dense groups and spend more time in large sheds and stockades increasing the spread of bTB. The larger groups ensure that bTB that is carried by few animals sub-clinically acting as a reservoir for the bTB going unobserved and be allowed to flare up again. This is the process that the farming lobby are trying to blame badgers, without credible scientific evidence.

Badger, Cattle and bTB

Cattle to badger bTB infection has been well demonstrated, but there is no evidence that can prove badger to cattle transference on the farm and the extent of the problem, except by guesswork or inference.

Peter Smith, Wildwood Trust’s Chief Executive said:

“I myself have a degree in Medical Biochemistry and my knowledge of how TB works leads me to agree with the leading scientists in the UK that have repeatedly stated that a badger cull would not reduce the incidence of bovine TB. This leads me to the conclusion that the farming industry is using Badgers as an emotional tool to wrestle even more taxpayer's money to subsidize intensive agriculture; instead of spending it on protecting our environment.”

I propose a simple 4 point plan to eradicate TB from cows in the UK:

1. Private insurance – reward the good and punish the bad

The present system of subsides rewards poor practice, the solution is to make the farming industry pay for their bad and illegal farming practices. The best way to achieve this is by the withdrawal of all government subsidy and compensation payments. Farmers could then privately insure themselves against the risk of herd breakdown due to TB. This free market solution would reward good farming practices by them having lower premiums. Farms with poor risk would be charged high premiums and those farmers who commit fraud by changing ear tags and other illegal practices would invalidate their insurance.

2. Reintroduction of stricter quarantine regulations on cattle movement

Detailed statistical analysis has shown that it is the movement of cattle from one farm to another that is by far the most important factor in the spread of TB*. The reintroduction of the strict quarantine measure abandoned in our past is key to control of bTB in the UK.

(*M. Gilbert, A. Mitchell, D. Bourn, J. Mawdsley, R. Clifton-Hadley & W. Wint Nature Vol 435|26 May 2005|doi:10.1038/nature0354)

3. Good credible science – put the funds used for badger killing into proper scientific study of disease propagation and vaccines

The current system of spending large amount of taxpayers’ money on trials of shooting and gassing badgers at the expense of proper scientific study should stop. These funds should be redirected into proper microbiological research of the disease and its control by vaccination in cattle and badgers

4. Introduce economic changes to taxation and land tenure to promote less intensive agriculture.

Our present System of taxation vastly favours tax-dodgers, large landowners and investment in huge capital infrastructure.

By removing taxation on all wages and trade, from which we currently derive our income and removing the tax perks of buying large machinery and replacing that government revenue with a rent on the value of all land and a taxation of natural resources such as oil and minerals at source we would create many more rural and farming jobs and reduce intensive inputs of artificial cattle feeds. This rebalancing of our economic climate would allow less intensive farming to compete on fair terms with the modern industrial farming methods and reduce the spread of disease and poor quality animal husbandry.

Key facts of bTB

1. bTB is passed from animal to animal by aerosol in the form of close, mouth to mouth, transmission

2. bTB is a ‘progressive’ disease not a black and white issue – the idea of ‘skin reactors’, the current method of detection is very flawed

3. Cattle infect badgers but probably not the other way round (not one shred of real evidence exists for badger to cattle transmission, only inference conjecture)

4. bTB is dormant for many years (if not decades in some animals) and this is the real ‘reservoir’ of infection –there is no real evidence of wild animal to cattle transmission. The best data available, from the studies done in Belgium, show that wild animal transmission has no statistical influence on the epidemiology

5. The most probable culprit of the rise in bTB is when strict quarantine laws where relaxed 40 years ago, the bTB we see today is just the epidemiological statistical results of that relaxation, magnified by larger herd sizes (increases the chance a ‘dormant carrier’ infecting a herd) and greater densities in cattle sheds.

6. Many cattle diseases, not just bTB, have increased over that time, pointing the finger to industry practices and animal husbandry issues

7. Stress and ‘unnatural’ diet may (and I stress may as no real evidence) play a role in increasing the progression and expression of bTB in cattle

WHAT CAN YOU DO!

If you agree with my view point you can explain, in your own words, why killing badgers is not an acceptable solution to the TB problem. Ask the Government to base its policies solely on cattle controls and credible scientific research.

http://www.writetothem.com/?keyword=MP&creativeid=605235279&gclid=CKbFu-PBoaoCFcRO4QodmXuvVQ

Video - Click here to watch Wildwood Chief Executive, Peter Smith on why a badger cull is not the answer

Peter Smith
Chief Executive
Wildwood Trust

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Bizarre roadkill perplexes DNR officials

The mystery animal was ghostly white and hairless, its neck bloated out of proportion with the rest of its limp body.


When Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials received a picture of the roadkill from Alexandria, Minn., this week, it wasn't clear what it was.


There were five front toes with long nails, so it most likely wasn't a dog. Several employees, working off the picture, concluded it was a badger.

"If you look at the picture, it is weird-looking," said Jason Abraham, a fur-bearer specialist with the DNR. "If there were four or five of these found on the road, we might have a bit more interest."

The badger, assuming that's what it was, probably lost its hair during the decomposition process, Abraham said. The animal most likely lived in Minnesota, although the species is more commonly found in Wisconsin.

The badger's picture was placed on Facebook, which gave the critter a little notoriety in the Alexandria area.

In 2006, residents of the North Shore were perplexed by a hairless animal roaming the woods. It turned out to be a timberwolf with mange.


http://www.startribune.com/local/126857738.html

Photo: http://stmedia.startribune.com/images/617*425/1badger080611.jpg

Last chance to protest against badger cull

Chris Packham joins the RSPCA in urging action

July 2011: The RSPCA is urging action before an imminent decision about a badger cull in England. It is believed that the government will announce plans to license the shooting of badgers in the next couple of weeks.

The society is firmly opposed to any plans for a widespread cull, and believes now maybe the last chance for those who agree to voice their views.

Springwatch presenter Chris Packham, who recently became an RSPCA Vice President, has added his voice to this campaign, saying that now might be the last chance for people to tell the government what they think.

Severe welfare implications
As part of a consultation last year, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) put forward a proposal for a badger cull in parts of England as part of a package of measures to control bovine TB in cattle.

The plans, which could mean the eradication of 70 per cent of the badger population in large parts of the country, involved farmers and landowners being licensed to carry out and fund the cull themselves through a variety of methods including free-shooting.

The RSPCA is firmly opposed to proposals for a cull and has long battled against various proposals put forward, and previously dismissed, by different governments. It thinks these plans would be unlikely to work and could have severe welfare implications.

Quintessential part of our English countryside
The society is asking those who support this campaign to write to their MP as a matter of urgency and ask them to pass on a message to the Prime Minister to let him know how they feel.

‘A decision about whether badgers are to be culled is due imminently. There is no time to waste, now is the time for anyone who feels as strongly as I do on this subject to act,' says wildlife expert and life-long badger fan Chris Packham.

‘Badgers are fascinating creatures which I consider to be an quintessential part of our English countryside. Added to this their death would most likely be in vain as scientific studies suggest that culling them could increase the risk of transmission of bovine TB in cattle rather than reduce it.

‘I wholeheartedly support the RSPCA's opposition to this proposed badger cull. If you do too, please do all that you can to let the government know how you feel.'

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/badger-cull282.html#cr

Farming minister says badger cull 'may not happen'

Most farmers in the South West believe TB in cattle
is spread by badgers

19 May 2011

A badger cull to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle may not happen, the farming minister has told the BBC.

Badgers are blamed by many farmers for spreading the disease, resulting in thousands of cows being destroyed.

However, in an interview for the Politics Show South West, minister Jim Paice said there was a "question-mark at this moment" over a cull.

The government confirmed that a decision was still due to be made.

The South West, west of England and Wales are among the areas worst-affected by TB in Britain.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said 6,863 cattle with TB were slaughtered in Devon in 2009, while in Cornwall the figure was 3,545.
'Judicial review'

The government was expected to announce in May whether a cull of badgers would go ahead, but it has been delayed.

Conservative Mr Paice said: "We will be making our announcements about it in the not-too-distant future once we're certain that, if we were to go ahead, we could resist the inevitable judicial review that would come."

When asked if he meant "if" as opposed to "when", Mr Paice replied: "There has to be a question-mark at this moment in time until we make a final decision and an announcement."

The National Farmers' Union approves of a cull, saying it was needed to help farming.

However, animal rights activists have criticised the proposals.

See the full interview with Jim Paice on the Politics Show South West, BBC One South West, Sunday 22 May, 1100 BST.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-13462393
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)

Badger vaccine pilot planned by National Trust in Devon

20 April 2011
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News

The National Trust is to vaccinate badgers against TB this summer in a bid to curb the disease in cattle - the first UK landowner to do so.

The trust hopes its £320,000, four-year project on Devon's Killerton estate will make the case for vaccination as an alternative to culling.

Cattle (or bovine) tuberculosis costs the UK about £100m each year.

The government is set to approve badger culling in England soon, and the Welsh Assembly Government also plans a cull.

Research published last year showed the vaccine lowers infection in badgers.

Some cattle herds contract TB through contact with badgers, which carry the bacterium, although infection from other cattle is more significant.

Badger culling is a controversial option and although the trust is not opposed to it in principle, it is troubled by research showing it could do more harm than good - hence the vaccination scheme.

"This is a pilot project - it's not research, not a trial - we know the vaccine works, and we're going for it," said David Bullock, the trust's head of nature conservation.

"The driver is that we want to reduce the risk of bovine TB breakdowns in cattle herds belonging to our tenant farmers, 18 of whom are involved in this project - and we also want to see that the vaccine is considered nationwide."

Last December, scientists with the government-owned Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) published the results of a four-year field trial using an injectable TB vaccine.

It showed that vaccination reduced the incidence of TB in badgers by 74%, but did not look for any impact on infection levels in cattle.

The Labour government had planned five subsequent pilot vaccination projects, but the coalition reduced that to one, and Killerton was among the sites axed.

So at a cost of £80,000 per year, the National Trust is picking up the project, making use of the fact that some of the preliminary research (such as mapping out badger setts) has already been done.

Across about 20 sq km (8 sq miles) of the site, badgers will be lured into cages with bait and trapped.

Trained and licensed Fera staff will then deliver a dose of vaccine and release the badger, first marking it so it does not subsequently receive a second shot.

Dozens of setts have been identified, and the trust believes many hundreds of badgers will be vaccinated.

Promises made

The Conservative Party made badger culling a plank of their general election campaign last year.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has demanded it for a long time and after the election Agriculture Minister Jim Paice - a farmer himself - announced a public consultation into how it should be implemented in England.

While supporting the trust's decision to carry out the pilot programme, the NFU said vaccines formed part of the long-term solution but did not address the "desperate plight" that many farmers currently found themselves in.

"Current vaccination methods of injecting badgers is costly, and practically challenging with the benefits remaining unclear, and unproven," Melanie Hall, the NFU's regional director for South-West England told BBC News.

"As the vaccine is preventative, [it is] unlikely to impact positively on infected badgers."

Nationwide, nearly 35,000 cattle were slaughtered last year and there is no vaccine yet that can be used in cattle.

The government believes a cull would reduce disease incidence in cattle by 16% over nine years.

A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affair (Defra) welcomed the National Trust's plans to run a vaccine pilot project.

He added: "There's no one solution to tackling TB, and the badger vaccine we developed is one of the tools we have available.

"We will be announcing a comprehensive and balanced TB Eradication Programme for England as soon as possible."

Ministers were expected to publish their plans to deal with bovine TB in the national herd in February; but amid turmoil over the disposal of nationally-owned forests, the announcement was postponed, and is now expected next month.

Meanwhile, the Welsh Assembly Government has announced new plans for a pilot cull in Pembrokeshire this year, after a legal ruling derailed similar plans last year.

Animal rights campaigners are to challenge the new plans in the courts.

Scientific cloud

Behind the issue lie conflicting interpretations of scientific evidence on the effectiveness of culling.

The Westminster and Cardiff governments and the NFU argue that culling can markedly reduce bovine TB incidence in cattle.

But the major UK investigation, the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (also called the Krebs trial), showed culling only produced a benefit if conducted rigorously and systematically over large areas, ideally with hard boundaries that badgers could not cross.

Otherwise, the social structure of badger groups broke down when some were killed, and the animals ranged further afield - infecting more cattle and leading to increased TB incidence.

"We're not against culling badgers if it's going to be effective in curbing bovine TB, but you can't apply the criteria everywhere that would make it effective," Mr Bullock told BBC News.

"Unless you have boundaries, you may have this effect where badgers move around and spread TB - we know from the science that this does happen."

Scientists who ran the Krebs trial have warned the government that its plan to allow shooting of badgers as they roam was likely to be less effective than the trap-and-shoot method deployed during the trial.

On that basis, they said, culling "risks increasing rather than reducing the incidence of cattle TB".

In the Irish Republic, culling has been practised for many years and does appear to have curbed bovine TB; but scientists involved with that programme say the disease will not be eradicated without vaccination.

The National Trust argues that vaccination could prove to be a more effective option than culling, in conjunction with tightened regulations designed to prevent cattle-to-cattle transmission.

This would also, of course, avoid killing badgers, which are a protected species under UK and EU laws.

Eventually, the aim is to have an oral vaccine that badgers would simply eat, avoiding any need for trapping; but that is thought to be five years away.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13121520
(Via Dawn Holloway)

Badger cull plans are inhumane and unscientific, says RSPCA

May make problems of bovine TB worse not better

November 2010: The RSPCA has hit out the latest Government plans for a badger cull in parts of England, describing them as ‘appalling'. The animal welfare charity believes that not only are the measures unlikely to work, they may exacerbate the very problem it is meant to stop - bovine TB. Concerned about a number of welfare issues, the RSPCA has sent a list of questions to ministers to highlight the issues at stake.

Proposals put forward last month could mean the eradication of 70 per cent of the badger population from large areas of the country, yet animal welfare scientists say they could lead to a spread of bovine TB in cattle rather than a reduction.


There are also serious concerns that licensing farmers and/or landowners to free-shoot the animals as suggested would be inhumane and near impossible to monitor.

Public given chance to have their say
A public consultation into whether a badger cull in parts of England should make up a package of measures to control bovine TB in cattle was announced by Defra in mid September. People have been given until December 8 to express their views to the Government.

So far nearly 13,500 people have signed the RSPCA's petition to oppose this cull, and a further 6,214 have written to their MP to express their views.

An RSPCA spokesman said: ‘The society is deeply concerned about the proposals and believes they are based on inconsistent evidence. We have therefore sent Defra a list of 38 questions to clarify the detail behind its plans.

‘The RSPCA fears that the use of free-shooting would cause serious welfare issues. Badgers' anatomy and behaviour makes them harder to shoot in an accurate, humane way than other animals such as foxes, so the risk of wounding instead of killing them, and causing a painful, slow death, is high.'

Cull would be over a large area - and would target at least 70 per cent of animals there

The spokesman added: ‘Defra also says that a cull would have to cover a large area - at least 150km² - and would need to simultaneously target at least 70 per cent of the animals there.

‘However, scientific evidence has shown that culling might actually increase the risks of spreading the disease over a wider area - a process called perturbation. Scientists said that a poorly conducted cull could increase these risks even further.'

Senior RSPCA wildlife scientist Colin Booty said: ‘The details of how the Government proposes to go about this cull are even worse than we imagined. They are relying on so many "ifs" and making assumptions which are not based on evidence.'

Untested method could cause great suffering
‘Defra wants to use an untested method - free shooting, via untested means, licensed farmers - which involves serious risks and could cause great suffering. Large numbers of badgers could be wiped out, many of them healthy, and it is doubtful whether there would be much reduction in bovine TB in cattle as a result.'

The RSPCA agrees that there is a problem with bovine TB but believes a recently-approved TB vaccine for badgers combined with an increased level of cattle testing, improved biosecurity and stricter controls on the movement of cattle, are more sustainable and effective ways of reducing the disease among cattle.

The previous government ruled out a cull in 2008 on the basis of science and the responses to its consultation that revealed a record 95 per cent of respondents were opposed to a cull.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/badger-cull.html

Badger cull plans are inhumane and unscientific, says RSPCA

May make problems of bovine TB worse not better

November 2010: The RSPCA has hit out the latest Government plans for a badger cull in parts of England, describing them as ‘appalling'. The animal welfare charity believes that not only are the measures unlikely to work, they may exacerbate the very problem it is meant to stop - bovine TB. Concerned about a number of welfare issues, the RSPCA has sent a list of questions to ministers to highlight the issues at stake.

Proposals put forward last month could mean the eradication of 70 per cent of the badger population from large areas of the country, yet animal welfare scientists say they could lead to a spread of bovine TB in cattle rather than a reduction.


There are also serious concerns that licensing farmers and/or landowners to free-shoot the animals as suggested would be inhumane and near impossible to monitor.

Public given chance to have their say
A public consultation into whether a badger cull in parts of England should make up a package of measures to control bovine TB in cattle was announced by Defra in mid September. People have been given until December 8 to express their views to the Government.

So far nearly 13,500 people have signed the RSPCA's petition to oppose this cull, and a further 6,214 have written to their MP to express their views.

An RSPCA spokesman said: ‘The society is deeply concerned about the proposals and believes they are based on inconsistent evidence. We have therefore sent Defra a list of 38 questions to clarify the detail behind its plans.

‘The RSPCA fears that the use of free-shooting would cause serious welfare issues. Badgers' anatomy and behaviour makes them harder to shoot in an accurate, humane way than other animals such as foxes, so the risk of wounding instead of killing them, and causing a painful, slow death, is high.'

Cull would be over a large area - and would target at least 70 per cent of animals there

The spokesman added: ‘Defra also says that a cull would have to cover a large area - at least 150km² - and would need to simultaneously target at least 70 per cent of the animals there.

‘However, scientific evidence has shown that culling might actually increase the risks of spreading the disease over a wider area - a process called perturbation. Scientists said that a poorly conducted cull could increase these risks even further.'

Senior RSPCA wildlife scientist Colin Booty said: ‘The details of how the Government proposes to go about this cull are even worse than we imagined. They are relying on so many "ifs" and making assumptions which are not based on evidence.'

Untested method could cause great suffering
‘Defra wants to use an untested method - free shooting, via untested means, licensed farmers - which involves serious risks and could cause great suffering. Large numbers of badgers could be wiped out, many of them healthy, and it is doubtful whether there would be much reduction in bovine TB in cattle as a result.'

The RSPCA agrees that there is a problem with bovine TB but believes a recently-approved TB vaccine for badgers combined with an increased level of cattle testing, improved biosecurity and stricter controls on the movement of cattle, are more sustainable and effective ways of reducing the disease among cattle.

The previous government ruled out a cull in 2008 on the basis of science and the responses to its consultation that revealed a record 95 per cent of respondents were opposed to a cull.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/badger-cull.html

Badgers dig up human bones in graveyard

Badgers are causing havoc in an ancient churchyard by digging up the remains of people buried there for several hundred years.

At least four graves have been disturbed so far in Long Clawson


And locals have been warned they can do nothing about it because the animals are a protected species.

At least four graves have been disturbed so far; in one instance a child found a leg bone and took it home to his parents. It is illegal to kill badgers or destroy a sett, and attempts by the local parish council to have the badgers moved have been blocked by Natural England.

Instead, Rev Simon Shouler has been forced to carry out regular patrols to pick up stray bones, store them and re-inter them all in a new grave.

Rev Shouler first noticed the problem at St Remigius Church in the village of Long Clawson, Leics, which dates back to the 12th Century, earlier this year when someone reported seeing a skull and a bone on top of the ground.

The churchyard took burials for 800 years before closing in the early 1900s because it was full.

Since the first discovery a child has discovered a leg bone and two other leg bones have now been dug up.

Rev Shouler said: “The parish council began seeking advice and someone from the local county badger group came around and told us about special gates that allow the badgers out but does not allow them back in.

“The idea was that they would be relocated to a nearby field.

“However, Natural England and English Heritage got involved and ruled that there might have been a medieval house on the adjacent field once, and so the land is protected.

“We cannot go near the sett, and English Nature will not grant us a license to relocate them so there is nothing we can do other than to let them remain in the churchyard, digging up the remains of people who have been buried for several hundred years.

“Because the setts are under or in the grave, we cannot even bury the bones in their rightful place. I have been told to carry out a monthly bone patrol, collect them all up and re-inter them in a new grave.”

He added: “It is ridiculous. If I decided to dig up a grave to build an extension for the church or something, there would be hell to pay, yet here we have people who are having their bones scattered at the whim of someone sitting in an office miles away.

“It lacks any common sense but sadly reflects the bureaucracy of modern life.

“And it can’t be healthy to touch these bones. Goodness knows what some of these people died of – there were things like Anthrax around and I know that can stay in the ground for a very long time.”

The field next to St Remigius Church is said to contain remains of the main residence of the Bozon family, Lords of the manor from 1304 to 1539.

The field and graveyard are part of a Scheduled Ancient Monument and whilst Natural England were initially happy to grant a licence, English Heritage advised that if moved the badgers could cause more damage to the protected site.

A spokesman said: “This is a complex issue where finding a solution to satisfy everyone is hard.

“We evaluate situations such as this on a case by case basis but we always aim to strike a balance between the welfare of wildlife and the preservation of human remains and scheduled ancient monuments.”

Under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, it is illegal to kill, injure or take a badger, or interfere with a sett. The maximum sentence is six months’ jail.

By Nick Britten

Badgers dig up human bones in graveyard

Badgers are causing havoc in an ancient churchyard by digging up the remains of people buried there for several hundred years.

At least four graves have been disturbed so far in Long Clawson


And locals have been warned they can do nothing about it because the animals are a protected species.

At least four graves have been disturbed so far; in one instance a child found a leg bone and took it home to his parents. It is illegal to kill badgers or destroy a sett, and attempts by the local parish council to have the badgers moved have been blocked by Natural England.

Instead, Rev Simon Shouler has been forced to carry out regular patrols to pick up stray bones, store them and re-inter them all in a new grave.

Rev Shouler first noticed the problem at St Remigius Church in the village of Long Clawson, Leics, which dates back to the 12th Century, earlier this year when someone reported seeing a skull and a bone on top of the ground.

The churchyard took burials for 800 years before closing in the early 1900s because it was full.

Since the first discovery a child has discovered a leg bone and two other leg bones have now been dug up.

Rev Shouler said: “The parish council began seeking advice and someone from the local county badger group came around and told us about special gates that allow the badgers out but does not allow them back in.

“The idea was that they would be relocated to a nearby field.

“However, Natural England and English Heritage got involved and ruled that there might have been a medieval house on the adjacent field once, and so the land is protected.

“We cannot go near the sett, and English Nature will not grant us a license to relocate them so there is nothing we can do other than to let them remain in the churchyard, digging up the remains of people who have been buried for several hundred years.

“Because the setts are under or in the grave, we cannot even bury the bones in their rightful place. I have been told to carry out a monthly bone patrol, collect them all up and re-inter them in a new grave.”

He added: “It is ridiculous. If I decided to dig up a grave to build an extension for the church or something, there would be hell to pay, yet here we have people who are having their bones scattered at the whim of someone sitting in an office miles away.

“It lacks any common sense but sadly reflects the bureaucracy of modern life.

“And it can’t be healthy to touch these bones. Goodness knows what some of these people died of – there were things like Anthrax around and I know that can stay in the ground for a very long time.”

The field next to St Remigius Church is said to contain remains of the main residence of the Bozon family, Lords of the manor from 1304 to 1539.

The field and graveyard are part of a Scheduled Ancient Monument and whilst Natural England were initially happy to grant a licence, English Heritage advised that if moved the badgers could cause more damage to the protected site.

A spokesman said: “This is a complex issue where finding a solution to satisfy everyone is hard.

“We evaluate situations such as this on a case by case basis but we always aim to strike a balance between the welfare of wildlife and the preservation of human remains and scheduled ancient monuments.”

Under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, it is illegal to kill, injure or take a badger, or interfere with a sett. The maximum sentence is six months’ jail.

By Nick Britten

Badger cull plans for England being unveiled

15 September 2010

The government has set out plans to license farmers in England to shoot badgers on their land, with tens of thousands of animals potentially targeted.

The government believes the badger cull is necessary to curb tuberculosis in cattle.

Cattle TB cost the UK more than £100m last year.

But campaigners who successfully mounted a legal challenge against plans for a cull in Wales say the scientific evidence for culling does not stack up.

The European badger (Meles meles) is a protected species under European and British law, but ministers can sanction killing in certain circumstances, including to tackle diseases.

It is believed the government will change the instructions it gives to Natural England, the statutory agency that issues licences, in order that farmers can gain permission to kill badgers on the basis that they carry the bovine TB bacterium.

The previous Labour government concluded culling did not make scientific or economic sense, and instructed the agency not to issue licences for TB control.

Ministers in the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition, however, believe the latest scientific evidence changes the picture.

Agriculture Minister Jim Paice said before the election that the Conservatives favoured culling. Since coming into office he has several times pledged to make it happen, although his boss, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, has been more nuanced, promising only a strategy based on science.

Split vision

Whether science does back a cull or not is a hotly-disputed question.

Some of the scientists who performed the biggest ever investigation into culling - the UK's Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT), also known as the "Krebs Trial" - maintain that it does not.

The Krebs Trial found that the incidence of TB fell in cattle herds inside the culling zone, but rose outside, probably because killing badgers disrupted the animals' social structures, making them range further and along less ordered trails in search of food and territory, bringing them into contact with more cattle.

The team concluded at that time that culling could not be an ingredient of an effective bovine TB control programme; and some of them, at least, say that is still the case.

However, other observers point out that in the four years since the Krebs trial concluded, the "perturbation effect" has fallen away while some benefit appears to persist inside the culled zone.

Two months ago, the Court of Appeal upheld an appeal by the Badger Trust against the Welsh Assembly Government's plans for a trial cull in Pembrokeshire.

One of the reasons for the judgement was that proponents expected the measure to produce only a 9% decline in TB in cattle, which the court ruled was not a "substantial reduction", as required by the Animal Health Act.

Defra is using different legislation, the Protection of Badgers Act. Even so, campaigners are expected to explore legal options if they do not think the law is being properly applied.

"The Badger Trust is monitoring things very closely and we hope [Defra] will take a considered view of the science that is overwhelmingly against culling," said Gwendolen Morgan of Bindmans solicitors, the organisation's legal advisor.

The government's consultation is expected to last for three months.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11303939
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)

Badger cull plans for England being unveiled

15 September 2010

The government has set out plans to license farmers in England to shoot badgers on their land, with tens of thousands of animals potentially targeted.

The government believes the badger cull is necessary to curb tuberculosis in cattle.

Cattle TB cost the UK more than £100m last year.

But campaigners who successfully mounted a legal challenge against plans for a cull in Wales say the scientific evidence for culling does not stack up.

The European badger (Meles meles) is a protected species under European and British law, but ministers can sanction killing in certain circumstances, including to tackle diseases.

It is believed the government will change the instructions it gives to Natural England, the statutory agency that issues licences, in order that farmers can gain permission to kill badgers on the basis that they carry the bovine TB bacterium.

The previous Labour government concluded culling did not make scientific or economic sense, and instructed the agency not to issue licences for TB control.

Ministers in the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition, however, believe the latest scientific evidence changes the picture.

Agriculture Minister Jim Paice said before the election that the Conservatives favoured culling. Since coming into office he has several times pledged to make it happen, although his boss, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, has been more nuanced, promising only a strategy based on science.

Split vision

Whether science does back a cull or not is a hotly-disputed question.

Some of the scientists who performed the biggest ever investigation into culling - the UK's Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT), also known as the "Krebs Trial" - maintain that it does not.

The Krebs Trial found that the incidence of TB fell in cattle herds inside the culling zone, but rose outside, probably because killing badgers disrupted the animals' social structures, making them range further and along less ordered trails in search of food and territory, bringing them into contact with more cattle.

The team concluded at that time that culling could not be an ingredient of an effective bovine TB control programme; and some of them, at least, say that is still the case.

However, other observers point out that in the four years since the Krebs trial concluded, the "perturbation effect" has fallen away while some benefit appears to persist inside the culled zone.

Two months ago, the Court of Appeal upheld an appeal by the Badger Trust against the Welsh Assembly Government's plans for a trial cull in Pembrokeshire.

One of the reasons for the judgement was that proponents expected the measure to produce only a 9% decline in TB in cattle, which the court ruled was not a "substantial reduction", as required by the Animal Health Act.

Defra is using different legislation, the Protection of Badgers Act. Even so, campaigners are expected to explore legal options if they do not think the law is being properly applied.

"The Badger Trust is monitoring things very closely and we hope [Defra] will take a considered view of the science that is overwhelmingly against culling," said Gwendolen Morgan of Bindmans solicitors, the organisation's legal advisor.

The government's consultation is expected to last for three months.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11303939
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)

Hampshire workmen paint white lines around dead badger

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-10650160

Hampshire workmen paint white lines around dead badger

Dead badger between white lines The dead badger has been removed and the lines will be painted. Workman painting white lines on a road left a gap for a dead badger because they said it was not their responsibility to move it.

The animal had been killed about a week before on the A338 near Downton, on the Hampshire-Wiltshire border. Hampshire County Council said the workers did what they thought "was best" because it is the district council's job to remove carcasses. The badger has now been removed and the painting will be completed on Friday.

The county council said there would be no extra cost to taxpayers because the company was being paid a fixed rate for the job. Businessman Kevin Maul was on his way home from work when he noticed the break in the lines. He said: "I couldn't quite believe my eyes when I saw this poor old badger who had been there over a week.

"I'd seen him every day as I went by and wondered if he was going to be picked up. Then on Friday I drove home to see his body between the lines - they had painted the road, but left a gap where he lay."

Hampshire County Council is responsible for the line painting but New Forest District Council is responsible for clearing road kill. The two failed to arrange the clearance before line painting began.

Mel Kendal, county council environment chief, said: "We would usually liaise with our colleagues at the district council who dispose of animal carcasses on the highways to ensure the badger was removed before the white line painting crew did this stretch of road.

"This appears not to have happened in this case and the white line painting crew did what they thought was best until arrangements could be made to dispose of the carcass. These arrangements have now been made and the gap in the white lines will be filled in, at no extra cost to the council tax payer."

Council contractor Amey said the staff from sub-contractor Bellstan were not "licensed or trained" to remove road kill.

Badger cull in Wales quashed in the Court of Appeal

14.07.10

The badger cull in Wales which was given the go ahead in January by the Welsh Assembly Government has been quashed in the Court of Appeal.

Following the success of the appeal we have issued this statement:

We are delighted to hear that the Badger Trust's appeal has been allowed.

The RSPCA has always been firmly opposed to the proposed cull in Wales as we do not believe that the science justifies it. We believe that vaccination, increased levels of testing, improved biosecurity and stricter controls on the movement of cattle are more sustainable and effective ways of reducing the incidence of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle.

We are, however, pleased with the concessions which were made. As we said in our response to the Welsh Assembly Government's original consultation (on Tuberculosis Eradication Order 2009), we always had concerns that the proposed legislation applied to the whole of Wales and should have been more specific.

This is a timely reminder about the importance of meticulous attention to detail before any culling regime is considered.

We realise that bovine TB is a serious issue but don't believe that a cull of badgers is an appropriate, practical or ethical solution. Many of the badgers culled would be likely to be disease-free.

Vaccination project

Last month we reported on our dismay at the coalition government cuts to a project to vaccinate badgers against bovine TB due to take place this summer.

The project regarding the use of an injectable badger tuberculosis vaccine was initially announced on Thursday, 19 March by the then Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn. He said that the first vaccine against bovine TB in badgers would be used in the field in England, in Staffordshire, Herefordshire/Worcestershire and Devon.

Find out more about the proposed cuts to the project in our previous news story: Dismay at cuts to badger vaccination policy.

Back off badgers!

Show your support against the possible badger cull in England.

Give Animals A Voice

http://www.rspca.org.uk/media/news/story/-/article/EM_Badger_Trust

Pictured: shy badgers eat cornflakes at a hotel

RIGHT: Badgers tuck in to their Corn Flakes, at Isle of Wight hotel. Photo: SOLENT

A family of badgers has been photographed at an Isle of Wight hotel, after turning up every night for a bowl of cornflakes.

By Andrew Hough
Published: 7:00AM BST 22 Jun 2010

The usually shy creatures appear in the grounds at 9pm without fail, to eat what has apparently become their favourite breakfast cereal.

It has been a regular occurrence at the five-star Enchanted Manor, near Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight, for the past four years.

Maggie Hilton, who runs the Enchanted Manor with husband Ric, said: "We started putting left-over scraps from breakfast out for the badgers.

"They would grab most of the food and immediately run away to eat it but, strangely, they would stay to eat the cornflakes.

"They seemed calmer when they were eating the cereal and stayed around for much longer."

She added: "They are really fussy and I have tried putting out other cereals but they turn their noses up at them.

"They are really tame and friendly and our guests can't believe their eyes when they creep out of the woods every night and into our garden."

Kellogg's has pledged to supply the hotel with cornflakes for free so the friendly animals don't go hungry.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7844640/Pictured-shy-badgers-eat-cornflakes-at-a-hotel.html

Skunks, badgers enlisted to control Idaho pelicans

Apr 21, 12:32 PM EDT

BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Idaho is enlisting badgers and skunks in its fight against pelicans that are eating too many sport fish and hurting sensitive populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game managers released three badgers and two skunks last week on Gull Island in southeastern Idaho's Blackfoot Reservoir.

Last year, federal officials rejected Idaho's plan to shoot birds and oil eggs to halve the nesting pelican population in southern and eastern Idaho by 2013.

Federal officials dubbed that an "eradication program."

So now, state managers are releasing predators, even though they opted against doing so in 2009 because they feared that badgers and skunks could hurt colonies of other nesting birds.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PELICAN_VS_TROUT

Britain's 'big cat X files' revealed

There have been more than 100 sightings of exotic and unidentified animals in England since 2005, according to a dossier compiled by Natural England.

By Jasper Copping
Published: 9:00PM GMT 06 Mar 2010

They are the stuff of rural legend – but for decades, alleged sightings of big cats stalking the British countryside have been dismissed as hoax or fantasy.

Yet now the head of a Government agency responsible for investigating such incidents has declared that he believes these mysterious creatures do indeed exist.

His comments follow the release of a dossier by Natural England which lists more than 100 sightings of exotic, non-native and unidentified animals in England since 2005.

Of these, 38 were "big cats". In some cases, members of the public claimed to have seen the creature itself; on other occasions, they reported finding farm or wild animals which had been attacked or killed.

The documents – Britain's "big cats X Files" – show the extent to which Natural England takes the reports seriously.

The agency has launched several investigations, involving site visits by officials and the drafting in of specialist vets to examine injuries.

Big cat sightings have been reported all over England. In some areas they have spawned legends, such as the so-called Beast of Bodmin in the south west.

The investigations have yet to find conclusive proof of the presence of the mysterious creatures but, asked about their existence, Charlie Wilson, who coordinates reports for the Government agency, said: "The evidence is there that there are the odd, escaped, released dumped animals occurring in the wild every now and then.

"We know that. I am quite prepared to believe that. I don't think there are any breeding populations, however.

"If they are there, the numbers are so small that any risk of people encountering them is pretty small and any risks they present are somewhere approaching zero."

He added: "All reports are logged in our system. If there is only a sighting, then there is not usually much more than can be done to follow it up.

"But we are able to do so if there is something a bit more tangible that we could look at, like the carcases of other animals, or tracks. There are reports that turn out to be plausible."

One theory is that several large species, such as panthers, leopards and lynx, were deliberately released into the wild by their owners in the 1970s after the introduction of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act, which placed restrictions on the keeping of certain species.

In one "big cat" investigation, a carcase from an ostrich farm in Cambridgeshire was examined and the site was monitored.

In another, in Surrey, a roe deer was dragged over two fences, had its carcase eviscerated and was left with puncture marks. Natural England was informed by police and its officials studied photographs.

In Lincolnshire, a farmer found several of his sheep killed and eaten. On some of the carcases only the skull and spine were left. The farmer said the attack was down to a big cat and officials visited the site. Photos of the carcases were taken.

In another case, an injured horse was found in a field in Warwickshire, with claw marks scratched in it. In a further report, officials studied photographs of dead foxes, believed to have been scavenged by a big cat in Suffolk.

One big cat, spotted by a roadside between the villages of Mark and Burtle, in Somerset, was said to be as tall as a car. In another sighting in the same county, a motorist on the M5 reported seeing a big cat in an adjacent field.

While many of the investigations have been "inconclusive", others have been resolved. A supposed big cat seen in Norfolk, for instance, turned out to be a badger.

Danny Bamping, from the British Big Cats Society, said the real number of sightings would be even higher.

"Believing in big cats is not like believing in the Loch Ness monster," he said. "There is absolutely no doubt that they are out there.

"The most credible reports are from farmers, and those guys know their stuff. We have also had policemen reporting sightings to us. For every report, there are going to be others who don't bother to report it."

As well as the big cats, the Natural England dossier details other investigations which, in some cases, have found evidence of the presence of exotic species at large.

For instance, raccoon dogs – native to Asia and Russia – were confirmed as living in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire, while Siberian chipmunks, which can carry fatal diseases, have also been confirmed in Berkshire, Wiltshire and Cheshire.

Dead raccoons have been found in Kent and Hampshire, while there has also been a credible – though inconclusive – report of a living one in Surrey.

A snapping turtle, two feet long and 10 to 12 inches wide, was also discovered in Kent. The dossier states that the species "can be dangerous" and says that the animal needed trapping and destroying.

Fourteen coypus were also reported. The large South American rodent was brought to the UK by fur farmers in the 1930s, but some escaped and established wild populations.

These were thought to have been eradicated following a large-scale trapping exercise.

The new sightings could suggest that some remain at large, although none were proved conclusively.

A sighting of a wallaroo – an Australian animal which is smaller than a kangaroo but larger than a wallaby – living in Cornwall was taken as being credible, although not proven.

Other unconfirmed sightings include more raccoons and raccoon dogs, a wolf in Surrey, and a prairie dog in Buckinghamshire.

Twenty-eight of the sightings involved wild boar, which have escaped from farms and become established in some parts of the country in recent years. Sightings in other areas are still closely monitored.

The information was disclosed in response to a Freedom of Information request by The Sunday Telegraph.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7384536/Britains-big-cat-X-files-revealed.html
(Submitted by Liz R)

Blonde raccoon is star of show at new wildlife centre

RIGHT: Terri Petter holds her blonde raccoon Fingers at the site of where her wildlife education center will be built. Renee Jones Schneider, Star Tribune.

CALL OF THE WILDLIFE

A landmark furniture store in Farmington is being transformed into a wildlife education center, along with a gift shop and restaurant.

By DEAN SPIROS, Star Tribune
February 21, 2010 - 7:29 PM

The array of country furniture and accessories displayed in a sprawling timber building has always been but part of the lure of Oak & Treasures in Farmington.

For some, a weekend just wasn't complete without stopping in to talk to Fingers the blonde raccoon, who regularly occupied a pen in the back of the store. Or to get an up-close look at the wolf that often kept Terri Petter company in her office while she worked at the store belonging to her mother, Eunice.

After 15 years, the animals are moving from the back rooms and into the spotlight. Oak & Treasures is closing its doors and will reopen as a wildlife education center in the fall.

"The Habitat" will display a variety of native animals in their natural surroundings inside large, fenced-in pens. The inside of the log building will feature a bar and grill and gift shop. The walls will be adorned with animal mounts accompanied by educational text.

It's the brainchild of Apple Valley native Terri Petter, who grew up with a love of the outdoors and the creatures that inhabit them.

"Working with critters has always been her dream,'' Eunice Petter said. "We've been working toward this point for five years. It's just a good time to do it.''

"I always wanted to educate people on the outdoors and to get kids off the couch and away from the video games,'' Terri Petter said. "Getting people back outside to enjoy wildlife.''

Terri Petter has more than 100 animals, including cougars, wolves, bobcats, lynx, badgers, foxes, prairie dogs and ground hogs. They are housed on her 100-acre ranch in Apple Valley. Petter has a U.S. Department of Agriculture permit, and she said all of the animals have been purchased from a USDA-licensed facility.

"I don't have any kids; those are my kids,'' Terri Petter said. "I protect them like they are my kids.''

A landscape makeover will include the addition of trees, boulders, plants and ponds. "You're going to be able to walk out there and feel like you are up north,'' Terri Petter said.

Admission prices stand at $7.50 for adults and $5.50 for children. Yearly memberships will be available. Petter also is seeking corporate sponsorships and accepts donations.

The Petters have purchased an adjacent 70 acres of farmland they plan to use for future expansion of the habitat. Plans call for a petting farm featuring horses, cows, chickens and the like.

The current going-out-of-business furniture sale runs through May 1. Construction will begin soon after, weather permitting.

Eunice Petter has been in the furniture business for over 30 years, dating back to her days as an antiques dealer at Lake and Hennepin in Minneapolis. She also taught history for 30 years in the Apple Valley school district. While sad to see the furniture store close ("I'll miss the customers"), she's excited about her daughter's new venture.

"It's a big gamble,'' said Terri Petter, who put her ranch and her mom's timber building up for loan collateral. "I might be living in a box in two years. But I think it's worth it.''

http://www.startribune.com/local/south/84920632.html
(Submitted by D.R. Shoop)

Meet the man who cooks and eats road kill

18th November 2009

By Stephen Bailey

JONATHAN McGowan likes healthy meat. So he only eats animals that have been run over.

The 42-year-old from Bournemouth patrols Dorset for dead deer, badgers and toads.

Jonathan’s Fox Curry

Fry strips of fox tenderloin with chopped shallots, garlic, celery, red peppers and wild Dorset mushrooms in olive oil for five minutes. Then put the ingredients in a saucepan with a dash of water before adding salt and pepper, and a jar of Tikka Masala sauce. Simmer for ten minutes then serve with Pilau rice and home made elderberry and blackberry wine.

“Rats are lovely,” he said as the Echo joined him for a day around Wareham and Bere Regis.

“They are a bit like pork and they taste salty. They are delicious in a stir-fry.”

Jonathan is a naturalist and got curious about the taste of the animals when he looked for specimens to stuff.

His freezer is full of his favourite meats like freshly killed muntjac deer.

He said: “I am a scavenger, a hunter gatherer like man used to be. I don’t buy commercial meat. I find modern farming methods cruel and unhealthy.

“The animals get BSE, they are full of hormones and steroids and additives.

“I try to eat healthy meat from animals that have lived a good life in the world and not been contaminated.

“They don’t live long and because they are active, the meat is leaner and more tasty.

“To waste it when there are people starving in the world seems crazy to me.”

He only picks up freshly killed animals that are not too “mashed” by passing cars.

We passed a thoroughly squashed badger that had been dead for a few days.

Apparently the interior flesh might still be edible once the animal had been washed and the grit removed.

But Jonathan finds so many animals that he does not need to bother with such poor finds.

We found a pheasant near Wareham and a young male fox that had been killed overnight in the bus lane of Bournemouth’s Christchurch Road.

Back at his Pokesdown flat, Jonathan cut a strip of purple tenderloin meat from the fox’s back, ignoring the musky smell.

He fried it up with beansprouts and Hoi-Sin sauce, and the meat was a bit chewy but otherwise unremarkable.

He said: “Fox is usually very tasty and more-ish. It’s not fatty. It’s lovely and sweet and tender. I put it in curries and spaghetti bolognese.”

There is little he has not tried.

Blackbirds have rich, dark meat. Owls are quite bland, while cormorants are excellent with cranberry sauce.

Badger and otter are muttony with a slightly bitter flavour.

The flesh of stoats and weasels can be contaminated with their defensive anal scent, and hedgehogs are very fatty with an unpleasant rancid flavour.

He is a taxidermist and member of Bournemouth Natural Science Society, and many of his finds are stuffed for educational use.

He grew up in the countryside and his real passion is conservation. He records the levels of roadkill, and said it shows the damage we do to the animal world – he would not kill one of these animals himself.

Jonathan said his friends are often reluctant to try his meat but when they give it a go are usually won over.

“My boyfriend doesn’t give a damn. He eats venison and likes it. A lot of my friends who come for a meal trust me and know the meat will be fresh.”

What would his menu be if he appeared on the dinner part themed show Come Dine With Me?

“A frog and watercress soup to start. Then mayfly sorbet – they taste like toast. And for the main, roast hare with parsnips and gravy.”

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/4747249.Rats_are_salty_but_delicious_in_a_stir_fry__Meet_the_Bournemouth_man_who_cooks_and_eats_animals_he_finds_dead_on_the_roadside/

(Submitted by Mark North)

Meet the man who cooks and eats road kill

18th November 2009

By Stephen Bailey

JONATHAN McGowan likes healthy meat. So he only eats animals that have been run over.

The 42-year-old from Bournemouth patrols Dorset for dead deer, badgers and toads.

Jonathan’s Fox Curry

Fry strips of fox tenderloin with chopped shallots, garlic, celery, red peppers and wild Dorset mushrooms in olive oil for five minutes. Then put the ingredients in a saucepan with a dash of water before adding salt and pepper, and a jar of Tikka Masala sauce. Simmer for ten minutes then serve with Pilau rice and home made elderberry and blackberry wine.

“Rats are lovely,” he said as the Echo joined him for a day around Wareham and Bere Regis.

“They are a bit like pork and they taste salty. They are delicious in a stir-fry.”

Jonathan is a naturalist and got curious about the taste of the animals when he looked for specimens to stuff.

His freezer is full of his favourite meats like freshly killed muntjac deer.

He said: “I am a scavenger, a hunter gatherer like man used to be. I don’t buy commercial meat. I find modern farming methods cruel and unhealthy.

“The animals get BSE, they are full of hormones and steroids and additives.

“I try to eat healthy meat from animals that have lived a good life in the world and not been contaminated.

“They don’t live long and because they are active, the meat is leaner and more tasty.

“To waste it when there are people starving in the world seems crazy to me.”

He only picks up freshly killed animals that are not too “mashed” by passing cars.

We passed a thoroughly squashed badger that had been dead for a few days.

Apparently the interior flesh might still be edible once the animal had been washed and the grit removed.

But Jonathan finds so many animals that he does not need to bother with such poor finds.

We found a pheasant near Wareham and a young male fox that had been killed overnight in the bus lane of Bournemouth’s Christchurch Road.

Back at his Pokesdown flat, Jonathan cut a strip of purple tenderloin meat from the fox’s back, ignoring the musky smell.

He fried it up with beansprouts and Hoi-Sin sauce, and the meat was a bit chewy but otherwise unremarkable.

He said: “Fox is usually very tasty and more-ish. It’s not fatty. It’s lovely and sweet and tender. I put it in curries and spaghetti bolognese.”

There is little he has not tried.

Blackbirds have rich, dark meat. Owls are quite bland, while cormorants are excellent with cranberry sauce.

Badger and otter are muttony with a slightly bitter flavour.

The flesh of stoats and weasels can be contaminated with their defensive anal scent, and hedgehogs are very fatty with an unpleasant rancid flavour.

He is a taxidermist and member of Bournemouth Natural Science Society, and many of his finds are stuffed for educational use.

He grew up in the countryside and his real passion is conservation. He records the levels of roadkill, and said it shows the damage we do to the animal world – he would not kill one of these animals himself.

Jonathan said his friends are often reluctant to try his meat but when they give it a go are usually won over.

“My boyfriend doesn’t give a damn. He eats venison and likes it. A lot of my friends who come for a meal trust me and know the meat will be fresh.”

What would his menu be if he appeared on the dinner part themed show Come Dine With Me?

“A frog and watercress soup to start. Then mayfly sorbet – they taste like toast. And for the main, roast hare with parsnips and gravy.”

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/4747249.Rats_are_salty_but_delicious_in_a_stir_fry__Meet_the_Bournemouth_man_who_cooks_and_eats_animals_he_finds_dead_on_the_roadside/

(Submitted by Mark North)