A solar farm appears to have finally taken action to release several deer that have been trapped at its premises since April 10. The company running the farm only reacted after intense pressure from local people, which led to mainstream media coverage over the plight of the deer.
Last week the BBC published these images – taken by a local dogwalker – of the distressed animals charging at the fence of the solar farm trying to escape.
Locals posted on Instagram:
“Deer are stressed and if we can’t find a way to help them soon, they will die eventually we have tried all avenues with wildlife trusts and RSPCA who never call us back, we’re tagging all the news stations in the area, yourselves may have more pull“
Company responds
Protect the Wild contacted Sonnedix, the owners of the 87-hectare Cowley solar complex near Billingham. They responded on 18 July:
“We have created a safe access point for deer to enter and exit our Cowley Complex solar farm, and have provided additional food and water sources. We have engaged an ecologist to carry out further assessment. We remain grateful to the local community for reporting this to us.“
So it seems that the local wildlife defenders were right. Once the press started covering the issue, the company was stirred into action.
But let’s be real. These deer have been trapped for over three months now. It was only after the company started attracting negative national media attention that they agreed to do anything about it. Local people who attempted to visit the solar farm prior to the press coverage, to enquire about the welfare of the deer in the past, were met with cold shrugs by the security personnel at the site.
Locals have confirmed to Protect the Wild that some panels have been opened in the farm’s fence and a few carrots and water troughs have been put out for the deer. They say they will be closely monitoring the farm to ensure that the animals are able to move freely.
Not just a one-off
This distressing incident was by no means a one-off. The British countryside is becoming increasingly dominated by corporate developments and housing construction. This means that there are less and less available habitats for wildlife.Â
According to Protect the Wild’s Rob Pownall:
“It took literally months for this company to act after the deer were first spotted trapped and by then, the damage was already done. This isn’t just an isolated incident. Across the UK, we’re seeing animals trapped and dying on corporate sites like solar farms, business parks, and construction zones. Companies have a responsibility to ensure wildlife isn’t the collateral damage of development. But too often, animals are an afterthought.”
To give just one example, earlier this year locals in Manchester became concerned when a deer population became stranded after trees were cut down in an area that had long been their home. Residents contacted the RSPCA and the British Deer Society. They were told that the only solution might be a “humane cull”.
Deer often become caught in sports netting too. Earlier this year, Protect the Wild supported a parliamentary petition calling for netting to be tied up when not in use. The petition was launched by Fox Project volunteer, author and wildlife enthusiast Marion Veal. It has so far gained over 11,000 signatures.
What these examples show clearly is that it’s local people advocating and taking action for wildlife at a grassroots level that gets the goods. Big companies are never going to listen to us unless they are forced to. We’d like to congratulate the local people of Billingham for doing just that. It’s up to us to stick up for deer and other wildlife in our local areas.
-
Sign the Fox Project’s parliamentary petition calling for netting to be tied up when not in use.
-
Read Protect the Wild’s page on ‘Deer and the Law’
-
Labour’s Planning & Infrastructure Bill will make it even easier for corporations to steamroller through developments that destroy precious habitats for wildlife. Read our article on the ‘Five reasons’ that the Bill will be disastrous for British wildlife and sign our petition calling on Secretary of State Steve Reed to scrap the Bill.Â
Image of Red deer and hind. via Wikimedia / sharpphotography.co.uk