The road to nowhere. A statistic all too evident these mornings on roads county wide. This is one of an estimated 45,000 badgers who die in road related accidents each year in the UK.
DRIVERS on the roads of Fermanagh have been asked to reduce speed so as to reduce the number of badger ‘kills’.
A ‘Herald’ reader contacted us to report coming across seven badger ‘kills’ between beyond Belcoo and the new roundabout at Drumclay, all on Monday morning.
“I have been talking to any farmer I met today (Monday), and it seems from what I can gather there would be no particular reason so many died on the road in one night, So, it seems to have been a coincidence I spotted seven dead badgers.”
Not so, according to Imelda McCarron, an environmental officer with Fermanagh District Council.
She apportions the blame on unsuspecting motorists, the removal of the badger’s natural habitat, and the lack of alternative man-made ‘runs’ after fresh roadworks.
“When you remove hedgerows, as happened at Drumclay, you’re taking away the runs where a badger walks across at night in search of food.
“In England, the highways agency, when they’re building new roads, they put up badger-proof fences and create tunnels under motorways, and in New Zealand they build wildlife bridges. We have none of that here.”
“Imelda went on: “It’s definitely sad. The badgers have nowhere else to go, and it’s not only badgers.
“There’s foxes as well, but dead badgers are easier to see because they’re big animals.”
She explained that, around about now, badger pups are born, maybe five in a litter and that, without their mother, they die.
So, what can motorists do?
“They should reduce their speed coming up to corners. That’s all they can do. Badgers don’t have headlights, so a driver can’t see them. At least, if you’re driving slower, you give them a chance.
Badgers, and the ‘setts’ are protected by law here.
It is an offence to disturb them or obstruct access to their place of refuge, or destroy or damage anything which conceals or protects their place of refuge.
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