top secret wildlife

[neil draycott]

i often wonder why people who have an interest in wildlife always seem to be secretive do you think we keep our spots to ourselves to protect the wildlife or to save it for ourselves.
a good example of this would be would you tell someone you had just met where your nearest badger set was or where your favourite fox den was.
its a poor refelection on the country as a whole that we feel this information should only be given to our most trusted freinds and kept a greater secret than the invasion date for d-day.

[Jason Green]

Hi Neil, welcome to WAB!!

I see what you're saying...

I think these 'secret sites' are kept secret to protect the wildlife in question. Take your example of a fox den for example. I'm sure you'd tell those you know where one was because... you know them. However, if someone asked you where one was, you may hesitate in case they are the type that would go fox hunting.

There are various bird breeding sites around the UK that are only known only to the RSPB to prevent anyone getting too close and disturb the nest, thereby preventing the successful breeding of a rare bird - or even the first for the country. This happened with Cattle Egrets this year. There is also a site where one or two Cranes breed. Again due to persecution, etc, it's not made public.

I'm sure you are a caring person who wouldn't dream of doing the things I've discussed, but it's just the way things are.

The needs of the wildlife must come first.

[sunnydale]

I know of at least 3 active Badger Sets on my 'local patch' but would consider long and hard before I told anyone about them.
Not because I want to deprive anyone from observing them....but because there are those who will stop at nothing to harm wildlife, especially if the species in question has had recent bad press.

It would be a wonderful thing if cruelty to/persecution of any animal ceased - but in reality, we know it's not going to happen.
Tis a very sad fact.

[NickCantle]

I know it's not quite as serious as Badger sets or Fox dens, but I keep my mushroom patch a secret not because I want all of the edibles to myself, but because if certain people found it, they'd have no respect for next years growth- they would just pull them up and have no regard for the consequences.

[monkey]

Welcome to WAb
I think you will find on here that we do share special places just like I have in my thread about Arne because it is a wonderful place in general to see wildlife but we keep quiet about specific places to see individual species such as the white fallow deer/rutting places I have photographed because such awful things have happened to the animals

Linda

[Badger Watching Man]

It is sad, but there is a very real need to protect the wildlife.

I am acutely aware that there are still people out there willing to harm badgers (and other wildlife), and I am deliberately secret because of it. This is particularly true of anything posted on the internet as you have absolutely no control over who sees it. OK, there probably isn't a huge risk, but I don't want to take any chances. I've been watching my local badgers for over three years now, and they're almost like family. If anything happened to them, and it was my fault, I'd never forgive myself.

I'm much nicer and friendlier in real life than I am on the internet, honest...!

[Jason Green]

Originally Posted by Badger Watching Man

...I'm much nicer and friendlier in real life than I am on the internet, honest...!

Of course you are - on both

You're just caring for them

[demicav]

I've often given this some thought myself. We go to Pwllheli, North Wales every year, sometimes two or three times. We know of an area where there is an excellent population of Adders and we never fail to see them although later in the year it gets more difficult as they move around. In Spring though there are so many about it's unbelievable. I never tell anyone about them and even tell my children to keep quiet. I just don't want them to get hurt and you can't always tell who can be trusted. Sometimes we can be stood amongst them and people have walked through the area and I've wanted to share it with them but have no idea what their reaction would be or who would be the next person to get hold of the information. I've even stood in front of a basking Adder to shield it from others. Am I selfish ? I don't think so, although some may disagree. I would be absolutely devastated if anything happened to them and it's always great to go back and see them thriving.

[Hedge Witch]

I agree with the majority of people who've posted so far. The wildlife comes first with me. It's not often I come across a rarity, but when I do, mum's usually the word. And the younger they are the less likely I am to divulge. Mind you, most people I know don't really care that much anyway.

[nightshade]

When I see large groups of people chattering happily, swigging Evian, perhaps smoking, off to see a Badgers Sett or Deer etc. I know I am right to keep quiet. One or two people picking Mushrooms fine but they tell others and a coachload turns up! People asking about Adders, never tell unless you trust them implicitly, same with Bats. We have unwittingly become the guardians of a finite resource.
As Badger Watching Man has said I am also much nicer in person than on the interweb