RAUK - Archived Forum - Cretinous BBC press item

I often see dogs rampaging along the edge of heathland tracks in exactly the places where adders like to bask. Most people I'm sure would never consider there might be adders lying out. As has been mentioned before on this forum noticeboards advising the presence of adders can have the negative effect of people going  along armed ready to kill any that are seen.

A friend's dog died of an adder bite 15 years ago and the poor dog did not have a quick and painless end.

I think the point is that the headline "Walker Bitten Fending Off Snake" gives a false impression that it was the adder that was behaving agressively not the dog. Doesn't it sound from the headline that the snake made the first move?

It would have been more useful if the BBC had taken the opportunity to highlight the non-agressive nature of the adder when left alone and given the public a little advice regarding the under used device known as a 'lead' for their dogs, particularly at this time of year. Might also have been sensible to have advised the public that if they are bitten by a snake they ought to seek medical attention immediately, not wait until they fall over. Last thing we need is a human UK adder death.

And before anyone says well how could the dog walker know adder were around.. we get reports in the press most years from the Southend area regarding adder bites. (Local radio reported the incident happened in Southend)

We have a dog, he's taken into areas where adder are abundant, common sense says keep him on the paths and on a lead. The only time either Merv myself or our dog have been injured in the field was when Zeb was attacked by a group of out of control dogs that we had to fend off.. Merv ended up in hospital with a bite wound through the middle of a finger joint.. very nasty.

Hi Al, I went to some trouble to survey a local nature reserve a couple of years ago and recommended fencing around an area used by gravid females. I explained it should be passed off as an area of 'heathland regeneration'..

It's the first cover you find when you arrive at the car park, so dogs and toddlers head straight for it. I've seen people drag toddlers to it for a quick wee. 2 years on still no fencing....

Canvey Island - Seawalls on the south of the Island are largely unsuitable for adders - maybe the north seawalls - The West of the Island has a site where over 100 adders were moved last year. This was from a site considered to be the least important part for wildlife within a major new development (add to that 2,500 lizards!) - still we now have a new SSSI Canvey Wick - promoted by Buglife, English Nature etc....sorry got side tracked

The old marshes have good populations of adders - the Essex group was unaware of this story - we will have to look at getting some more positive news for the poor adders -

JC

Another thing try asking land managers (ie at the Scottish Reserve - gem knows the person) to place fences apparently it draws attention to the adders!

JC

I am afraid the majority of dog owners consider their animals never cause any problems and don't need to be on a lead in the countryside despite the fact that they are rampaging through the vegetation disturbing any wildlife in the vicinity.

When the CROW Act made the Peak District Moors Open Access, the first thing the National Park had to do with their two wildlife sanctuary areas (where the adders are found) was to remove all the signs asking people to keep to the designated paths. They did put signs up asking dog owners to keep their pets on a lead because of ground nesting birds. I have never seen a single person put their dog on a lead on the site, except in some cases where they are uncertain about other approaching people with dogs. Throwing sticks out into the heather/bracken or into the small moorland pools for the dogs to chase is a favourite activity.

(The Peak Park Estate staff previously had removed the beware of adders signs as it was decreed they gave a negative message that wasn't welcoming to visitors)

Ive been finding this year the number of people disturbing hides and trampling through the adder habitat at my local reserve is daft ive also noted the distinct lack of owners keeping dogs on leads and its really very anoying to put it mildly would any of you have any suggestions to help deal with this?

Sorry all, I haven't any constructive ideas, but I'd like to tell the BBC what i think, if you have an address? Also, it seems to me (paranoia creeping in) that if a dog walker spots someone with a camera or studying an area, they appear to want to target you with the dog. I had a weirdo dog walker last year go past me as I shot Grassies in a small pond. What did he do? He picked up something for the dog to chase and chucked it in the pond...... its a very difficult problem to solve as you are dealing with people of a different mind set!

R

I've lost count of the number of times whilst sat watching birds and dragonflies around a pond someone has come along and thrown a stick in for Fido to encourage him into the water. The pond then gets a good churning and water vegetation is trampled and broken. The overall damage is probably minimal but I find it very thick skinned of owners to encourage their dogs to rampage when it is obvious that someone is watching wildlife.

I know some of you have dogs and I've no wish to paint all dog owners with the same brush but to many the countryside is just somewhere to exercise dogs. Full stop.

Unfortunately the more access you give people the worse it is for nature.