Dead Badger

On the Hampshire-Wiltshire border lies a sad sight, an unrecognisable mess which once stood as a proud black and white beast of the night. It is a common sight, and one I witness regularly on the way to from school each day. It is estimated that 5,000 badgers meet this fate every year and with the badger population of the UK at 25,000, that is a staggering statistic.

This particular badger though has made the news for another reason: that the council workmen commissioned to paint the double white lines along the middle of the road chose to pause at the corpse before resuming their painting. Apparently it wasn't their responsibility as part of the Hampshire County Council to remove the badger; it was the New Forest District Council's task. Badger road death is a sadly common thing, and so is the ridiculous 'not doing things because they aren't technically my responsibility' attitude. Every time I come across this attitude, which I am going to name badgerbuckling from now on, I chuckle, but also feel a little sad that we don't just do things for each other out of a furry fuzzy place in our hearts that thinks, 'why not?'