Wildlife First Response

10/04/2026

I came across a dead badger by the side of a Highland road today.

He’d been left there, unnoticed, reduced to something people pass without a second thought.

But he wasn’t always “just roadkill.”

He was a living creature; moving through hedgerows; following familiar paths; existing in his own quiet way; an eco-engineer.

It’s unsettling how easily dignity disappears when life does. There’s no pause, no acknowledgment of what might have been felt in those final moments, no space for the life that was there before. Just a body, and then eventually, nothing at all.

Of course I had to stop and move this big guy off the road.

Not just for him, but for how quickly we all become part of the background if no one chooses to see us.

09/04/2026

Earlier this evening I came across this beautiful Pink-footed Goose, wintering here in the Highlands.

Sadly, he was showing clear symptoms of Avian Flu (HPAI H5N1).

The Pink-footed Goose population has been significantly affected by this disease. In early 2025, 12 cases were reported in Scotland, 7 of which were pink-foots.

Symptoms can include a swollen head, closed or runny eyes, lethargy, loss of balance, twisting of the head and neck, respiratory distress (such as gasping or sneezing), and watery droppings. In some cases, birds may show no obvious signs of illness and may succumb to the virus suddenly.

Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done for this individual. It was outside SSPCA hours, though they will be notified tomorrow.

DEFRA has also been contacted so the case can be included in ongoing monitoring.

Please remain vigilant. Avian Flu is still present and continues to have a serious impact on wild bird populations and it’s absolutely heartbreaking.

09/04/2026

We were called to Ellon this evening after a dog discovered a hedgehog trapped in a drain.
Thankfully, with many years of experience rescuing hedgehogs from drains, we were able to safely and quickly free the large male. As it was clear he had been trapped since at least the previous night, he has been brought back to the rescue centre for warmth, fluids, and some much-needed rest.

Please ensure drains are securely covered at all times. If you do find an animal trapped, contact your nearest wildlife rescue centre immediately. Avoid attempting a rescue yourself unless advised by a wildlife rescue as well-meaning but inexperienced efforts can cause further injury and significant stress.

08/04/2026

I came across this lovely little fella on a walk a couple of days ago. He’d wandered quite a distance from any water, and his skin felt very dry, so I gave him a lift to the edge of the nearest pond in case he fancied a quick dip.

Toads can live quite far from water as long as they’ve got some shelter and a bit of humidity, but he’d ended up somewhere pretty dry. Just wanted to make sure he was a bit more comfortable.

‘Mon the Toads.

07/04/2026

Last night, a tiny baby mouse (possibly vole) came into my care. He was so small he fit in the palm of my hand. I called him Pops.

After taking specialist advice from Highland Wildlife Rescue (absolutely crucial), Pops was kept warm, and hydrated every hour. Through the dark hours he held on.

This morning, Pops made it safely to HWR, but his little body had nothing more to give. Despite everyone’s efforts, he didn’t make it.

Wildlife care isn’t always about happy endings. Sometimes it’s about giving an animal warmth instead of cold, comfort instead of fear, and a chance instead of none at all.

Even the smallest lives matter.

06/04/2026

31/03/2026

We stand with, Richard Bowler Wildlife Photography

Isn't it amazing, you post about the Badger cull, Pheasant shooting or fox hunting and certain "people" start throwing insults. Incapable of a civilised debate, but experts is disease control, mammal populations and who should dare have a say in the matter depending on where they think you live and your upbringing.
I get comments like you're brave or courageous putting these posts up. It's neither of those, it's the fear of losing what has been important all my life. Our wildlife and wild environments.
I'm 57, in those years I've witnessed catastrophic declines in wildlife and habitat and like it or not, intensive farming has been to blame for a lot of it. You don't get to blame Badgers for the decline in ground nesting birds or hedgehogs, while ripping out hedgerows. Thugging to death the hedgerows that remain. Or when you cut hay and silage while said birds are on the nest. Or spray your crops with toxins, killing invertebrates and denying ground nesting birds and hedgehogs of their food.
You also don't get to decide what you think is worthy to live in the countryside. It's called a food chain, I have no problem with a fox raiding a ground nesting birds nest, or a hedgehog occasionally being eaten by a badger. I do find it sickening to see them flattened on roads or killed through poisoning from slug pellets and seeing their habitats destroyed.
Ground nesting birds you'd be led to believe only get predated by badgers the arch enemy of the countryside, truth is everything from a grass-snake, to a wood mouse, a stoat, a bird of prey and yes the 50,000,000 non native game birds will predate on ground nesting birds nests. It's why most ground nesting birds have 3 broods and multiple chicks in each brood, it's to make allowances for predation. What they can't allow for is the loss of habitat and the loss of food due to the crash in our insect populations.
It wasn't that long ago the windscreens of our cars would get covered in bugs during a summer drive, we all know that's not the case now, so there's no denying the decline in insects.
And as I always say, it's not all farmers, I know there are decent ones. I often get DMs from them agreeing with me and telling me about what they are doing on their land. If only they'd be more vocal, it would go a long way to diluting the s**t spewed out by certain individuals.

31/03/2026

Badgers can be a controversial topic of conversation but our post about badgers being killed by vehicles on the A96 certainly started a lively discussion.

Ultimately, comments were turned off because not all were friendly or helpful.

There were some learning points from the discussion, however: -

1. Badger Populations

WFR friends & badger gurus Bill and Jackie helped us out to advise that the 3-year (22-25) Scottish Badgers National Distribution study has concluded and the results can be read here: -

https://www.scottishbadgers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/GSS-National-Survey-Report-2022-2025-FINAL-PUBLISHED.pdf

While there appears to be a slight statistical increase on main sett distribution, it isn't really possible to estimate population numbers from these figures.

Sett occupation varies wildly across the country for various reasons, including territory sizes, habitat conditions, foraging opportunity, and food availability.

Some main setts may have 2 adults and no cubs, some may have 1 adult female and 5 cubs. This, along with cub mortality being that of around 40 to 50% of cubs not surviving to 1 year, it is not possible to confidently estimate actual population numbers.

However, what can probably be said is that with the statistically small increase on surveyed main setts balanced across the country, there has been *no statistically large increase in populations* and indeed the likelihood is that overall numbers are *fairly static*.

There has been an increase year on year of reported road accidents, but this could be down to loss of habitats causing badgers to travel further, crossing roads to forage, increased traffic numbers, and/or public awareness and reporting.

2. Unlawful Killing of Badgers

We have been advised by other followers of WFR that the unlawful killing of badgers and the dumping of bodies on roadsides still occurs in parts of the UK.

If you have any evidence that this has occurred in your area, we would urge you to take appropriate action.

In Scotland, you can contact Scottish Badgers

https://www.scottishbadgers.org.uk

And Wildlife Crime Liaison Officers at Police Scotland.

Elsewhere, there are badger groups across England (unsure about Wales, NI) with many affiliated to the Badger Trust

https://www.badgertrust.org.uk

You can also report potential wildlife crimes across the UK to Crimestoppers (anonymously)

https://crimestoppers-uk.org/keeping-safe/rural-crime/wildlife-crime

Stay safe out there.

30/03/2026

It appears my last badger post has woken a few hairy anti-badger trolls.

I won’t stand for that nonsense or the spreading of myths.

To my knowledge, exact badger numbers in Scotland are not presently known, although Scottish Badgers has been conducting a population survey which may shed light on this when released. There is no current evidence to suggest general overpopulation.

Based on my experience in Scotland, I have never come across a badger at a roadside who appears to have been shot and ‘dumped there by farmers’. We have numerous large estates across Scotland so I cannot see why farmers, land managers, etc. would leave themselves open to potentially being detected by leaving a murdered badger at the side of the road. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, I’m saying it’s not something I have come across.

Badgers do not commonly predate hedgehogs. Research shows that only in areas of very high badger density (10 setts per 1km2) is it not possible for hedgehogs to co-exist with badgers. However, such high badger density is extremely rare. Research also shows that hedgehogs are declining at the same rate in areas with no badgers to predate them. (Badger Trust )

Am I qualified to myth bust? I used to be the Crime & Advocacy Advisor for a badger charity investigating crimes against badgers, I’m a published academic writer on the topic of badger crime, I was a Member of Police Scotland’s Partnership Against Wildlife Crime group for some time, and I’ve monitored badgers personally.

I’ll leave you with some footage of some happy, mischievous badgers captured by my wildlife camera over the years.

(P.S. haters will be blocked 😋)

30/03/2026

Yesterday I travelled along the A96 from Nairn towards Buckie and was shocked by what I saw. I lost count of how many dead badgers were lying at the roadside, but at least 10.

What’s going on? Is it speed, distraction, or simply a growing indifference to the impact we have on local wildlife?

I’ve been driving in Moray and the Highlands for over 25 years and have never hit, or even come close to hitting, a badger. I credit much of that to a police driving course I completed some years ago, which emphasised “road sense”; constantly scanning the near, middle, and far distance, and anticipating what might happen ahead.

Too often now, cars are treated as extensions of our living spaces. Loud music, conversations, and general inattention can easily take focus away from the road.

A vehicle is a powerful machine capable of causing serious harm. It deserves our full attention and a greater sense of responsibility: not just for ourselves and other road users, but for the wildlife that shares these roads.

26/03/2026

Hello, I’m a hedgehog, and if you keep shutting me out of your garden, I’m going to go extinct. I’m already on the IUCN Red List (GB) as vulnerable. It might sound dramatic, but for those of us navigating the modern world, the fences you build are walls we simply cannot climb. We aren't looking to take over; we’re just small travellers on a nightly quest for food and a safe place to rest our weary heads. When every garden is sealed shut, our world shrinks, our food disappears, and our families are torn apart by barriers we don't understand.
​I promise I’m a neighbour worth having. I’ll spend my nights quietly patrolling your flowerbeds, acting as your natural pest control. I don’t ask for much—just a tiny gap at the bottom of a fence, a "hedgehog highway," so I can pass through safely without having to risk the dangerous, busy roads that claim so many of my friends.
​Please, take a moment to look at your garden through my eyes. A little corner of wildflowers, a shallow dish of water, or even just a small hole in the fence can be the difference between a future for my kind and a world where we only exist in picture books. I want to keep snuffling through the leaves and waking up to the smell of your garden, but I can't do it alone. I need you to let me in.