... the Public Information Message comes across loud and clear … roads are dangerous places, cross carefully and treat them with respect. I drive the roads and lanes of the Staffordshire Moorlands on a regular basis. As beautiful as these arteries of the countryside are, with their wildflower verges, hedgerows and quaint stonewalls, I can't help but be saddened as I pass by the furred and feathered victims whose limp bodies pepper the roadside. I've never seen a live badger, yet I've seen plenty dead, along with foxes, rabbits, hedgehogs and pheasants; what fate is this for any creature?Ìý Most of these animals are the unfortunate victims of ill-timed road crossing attempts; I say ‘most’ because then there are the pheasants….and the pheasants are a very different and illogical collection of feathers altogether. When the hunter is not stalking the pheasant, these game birds appear to enjoy quality ‘down-time’, ambling along our lanes and grass verges.ÌýHaving made this lifestyle choice you would hope evolution would have equipped the pheasant with superb road safety instincts, but No.ÌýFrom what I have observed driving the country lanes, the pheasants version of The Green Cross Code is as follows:- Stop - why should I?! Look - at what exactly? And Listen – ooh, that sounds like a car, I think I'll walk in front of it!
How can a bird that frequents the roadside like it does, continue to be so dumb about the dangers of the road itself?ÌýIs there anything we can do to improve the roadside pheasants survival rate? I need answers, which is why I decided to meet Mr. Ken Butler, the Chairman of The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation to see if he can shed any light on the strange workings of the pheasant mind.
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