Concerns over increase in roadkill on West Sussex roads

Badgers, deer, foxes and hedgehogs are a few of the mammals which have been seen lying dead in the road after being hit by cars and the number has risen as lockdown is eased, a Chichester business owner has warned.

Christine Covey's latest gruesome find was a roe deer, found with a broken ankle on Yapton Road.

She said: "It was a beautiful looking animal. Our roads have been nearly empty and then all of a sudden there are so many animals that have been killed - it really upset me to see this.

"We are all starting to go back to how we were before. The Yapton Road is 40 miles-per-hour and people have been hacking along it. We are coming into their territory.

"My main concern is that someone has hit that animal and just left it there to die - it was a beautiful, beautiful animal."

The RSPCA was called but the animal welfare charity will only collect injured wildlife, and the roe deer died moments after being found.

Christine said: "A guy stopped on his bike and we decided that the deer was shallow breathing. The lady at the RSPCA was holding on the phone when this other couple came along and the other guy checked the deer and it had stopped breathing.

"I've been seeing foxes and badgers in lockdown. I see way more than I would do ordinarily but people are using that road like a race track."

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “Each year the RSPCA receives and attends several thousand calls regarding road traffic accidents involving wildlife.

As a result of this, we always urge people to be cautious when driving in an area with known wildlife nearby and pay heed to warning signs indicating that wild animals may be around. If you do hit an animal while driving, we would advise people to stop and check (if it’s safe to do so), as the animal may be more seriously injured than they appear.

“If you find an injured wild animal, contact the RSPCA’s emergency line on 0300 1234 999 for further advice on what to do. Always report any deer-vehicle collisions to the police and try to remember to record any deer-vehicle incidents at Deer Aware.

“Animals can scratch and bite when frightened, particularly if they are injured, so be cautious and apply common sense. Please do not try to handle or transport any injured deer, foxes, badgers, otters, swans, geese, or birds of prey; keep a safe distance from them and call our emergency line for assistance.

“Always wear gloves when handling all other animals and please take them to a vet for treatment where possible. We also urge people to take care in dangerous locations, like a busy road, and ask people to always report any animal obstructing a highway to the police and call for help if you can't reach the animal safely.”