Richard D wrote: But it’s certainly not a new phenomenon.
Hmm....between 1981 and 2013/14 I never saw a dead badger on local roads.
Then suddenly, huge numbers of dead badgers started appearing on local roads, many with a round hole in their forehead. The timing was precisely linked to the authorisation of legal culling elsewhere. It's difficult to believe there's not a connection (Nb. Perhaps I should stress that I'm not that concerned about badgers et al; have to say I've never caught any, though moles have always been easy to trap)