Due to the exceptionally mild Winter, badgers are far more active than typical for this time of year. Clwyd Badger Group have issued warnings that they have already exceeded the worst Jan and Mar on record for badgers hit by cars in North Wales.
Badgers are nocturnal creatures of habit. Family groups living in a sett will use the same well worn paths to access foraging grounds that they have used for generations and, as a result of the ever increasing rate of development, many of the UK’s roads now intertwine with these well-established routes and, with the badger’s poor eyesight, it’s no wonder that a recent survey ranked badgers at the top of the list making them the most commonly killed British species on our roads.
Now is the time where sows (female badgers) will be getting ready to give birth to their litters and need to increase the amount of food they have to forage for, to support the growing litter. Most parents will know just how tired they’ll be so the reflexes to run won’t be the same.
Dan Rose, Road Traffic Accident (RTA) Recorder for the Charity since 2017 said “We’re so grateful for anyone who can report what they see. All the information is checked and recorded. We need clear information with each report: Location (a lot of people are now using What3Words app to give precise and accurate recording) and also the condition of the RTA so that we can decide if it will be suitable for evaluation by the Welsh Government Veterinary Service”.
Member of the Senedd for North Wales, Carolyn Thomas said “Clwyd Badger Group fills an important role in North Wales, focusing on impacts to Badgers that roads and buildings make. I’ve worked with Dan a few years ago to make sure Flintshire Council was more able to share data and to support the Welsh Government’s Badger Found Dead scheme, gathering as many data points as possible for their research into bTB. It’s critical we do all we can to protect North Wales’ wildlife”
Dan followed by saying, “We’re trying to make it as easy as possible for people to report RTAs in North Wales – REPORT RTA
If you are driving, don’t forget these #GiveUsABrake steps to reduce wildlife accidents on the road:
Slow down – please be especially vigilant at night, and during dawn and dusk
Report sightings of dead badgers
Spread the message among your friends and family
Reporting sightings of dead badgers allows Clwyd Badger Group to find hot-spots for fatalities and campaign for mitigation efforts such as bridges, tunnels and signs to ensure badgers can cross roads safely.