SUCCESS: Solar farm promises action to release trapped deer

Deer trapped for months behind high fencing

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 this video footage - 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, 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 now 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 fewer and fewer available habitats for wildlife.

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.

Image of Red deer and hind. via Wikimedia / sharpphotography.co.uk

I will be running and walking for 24 hours around Parliament — not for fun, not for fitness, but because I’m furious. Furious at the state of British wildlife. Furious at a Government that lets nature die while pretending everything is fine. Furious that, no matter who’s in power, the mission seems to stay the same: destroy nature, kill wildlife, and sacrifice everything for profit. Labour promised to lead on animal welfare — but a year on, animals are still being slaughtered, wild places bulldozed, promises broken.

They’re not leading. They’re hiding.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will tear through what’s left of our natural world. The badger cull continues, even after they admitted it doesn’t work. Foxes, hares, deer — still hunted while hunts mock the law. And still, the Government dithers, terrified of upsetting countryside elites.

So this isn’t just a run. It’s a protest. On Monday 1st September — the very day Parliament returns — I’ll run as many 5km loops around it as I can in 24 hours. I want them to see we are angry, we are growing, we are not going anywhere. This is a message: we’re done waiting.

I’m asking you to stand with me. Help raise £1,000 for every hour I’m out there — £24,000 to build Protect the Wild into an even stronger force for good.

So far we’ve raised just over £7.5k in the first 24 hours which is just incredible.

It would be amazing to reach the target by 1st September, let’s do this! :)