More than 2,000 badgers have been killed on the Isle of Wight’s roads since 2011, costing Island Roads more than £100,000.
According to figures revealed by the Badger Trust, in 2019 alone, the highways network spent £14,200 dealing with 269 roadkills.
EXCLUSIVE
That equates to £50 per badger. Although Island Roads says it is not paid ‘per collection’, but provides a service to collect animal carcasses from our public highways.
So far this year, 97 badgers have been killed in hotspot areas across the Island, which has prompted the Badger Trust to continue its campaign for badger warning signs.
Graham Lee, a volunteer at the Isle of Wight Badger Trust said:
“There’s a lot of roadkill on the roads - around 300 a year on average which are picked up by Island Roads and it is a cost to them."
He added that the Badger Trust is prepared to fund the 13 signs requested in seven hotspot areas identified across the Isle of Wight.
Graham told Isle of Wight Radio:
“Island Roads were prepared to install the signs for free under their volunteer scheme, so there was no real cost to anybody. But obviously it's a great cost to the badgers who still get run over in these areas.”
A spokesperson for Island Roads told Isle of Wight Radio:
“Island Roads – within the restrictions placed upon it by DfT in respect of signage - is happy to support the Badger Trust in its efforts to reduce the number of badgers killed on our roads.”
We’ve asked the Department for Transport for a comment.