Police alerted after wildlife poisoning

A badger found dying beneath garden decking, in Northwood last spring, has been confirmed as a victim of rodenticide poisoning, following an eight‑month wait for toxicology results from Natural England’s wildlife incident investigation scheme (WIIS).

Volunteers transported the frozen carcass to the mainland in May, after WIIS struggled to secure a courier with a refrigerated van. The team from the IW Badger Trust said there was “no hesitation” in making the journey themselves to ensure the animal could be tested.

The results, received this week, confirmed the female badger had rodenticides in her system. She had been discovered in severe distress, struggling to breathe and “screaming in pain” as rescuers rushed her to the vet. She died as they arrived in the car park.

The incident came just 20 days after another badger was found dead a few hundred yards away, inside a water-pumping station. Workers gained access several days later, but the carcass had already begun to bloat in the sun. A veterinary examination found no broken bones or signs of a collision, but the internal organs had deteriorated too far for further testing.

A local Facebook appeal, last May, prompted a woman to come forward, reporting that her dog had been poisoned in the same area some years earlier. She identified the exact location where the first badger was found, and believed her pet had eaten baited food. Her dog survived only after receiving large doses of Vitamin K to stop internal bleeding.

Residents are being urged to remain vigilant in the area, between Medham Farm Lane and the Isle of Wight County Showground. Volunteers say the individual responsible “doesn’t care what they kill”, and missing‑cat posters seen locally have raised further concern that the true toll may be higher.

WIIS will continue its investigation, and the police have been informed.

Anyone with information is asked to send a confidential message so it can be passed on to the authorities.

For clarity, WIIS also confirmed that TB cultures from the poisoned badger tested negative.

The rescue team expressed their thanks for ongoing support from Friends of the Animals, The People’s Vet, and The Carisbrooke Vets.