This deer is looking a lot perkier than the one we found….
The faun was squealing in pain and distress as we approached. One of its hind legs had been snagged on barbed wire – the foot was hanging by a thread. I had to twist it off to free the poor animal. My son and I were distraught to witness such suffering.
The only small comfort was that the animal seemed calmed by my touch and soothing sounds. But it took nearly three hours before someone came to shoot it.
- The RSPCA, wildlife rescue centre, put us 9th in the queue. When we finally got through they directed us to British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council website where we found The Secret World Wildlife Rescue, who couldn’t help directly, but said the deer “needed to be put down as quickly as possible” and recommended calling the police.
- The police (UK National Wildlife Crime Unit) said they had firearms officers, but they said couldn’t despatch them because we needed to call the vet.
- The local vet explained they are not legally allowed to euthanise wild deer with chemicals—and disposal of the carcass would be a problem. And they told us it was a police matter – aaargh.
- Finally, we reached the landowner, who sent someone with a rifle. He came from miles away, and we stayed until the end.
Why tell this gruesome story?
Because it was entirely preventable.
Afterwards, I did some research on barbed wire and was shocked. It has no ecological benefits. The so-called “pros” are that it is cheap, durable and effective but these are heavily outweighed by serious downsides. And there are better, less damaging alternatives that work just as well (or better). My favourite is no fences at all! Increasingly this is possible even for managing cattle by using electric collars. Others alternatives include:
- Electric fencing – low-impact, temporary, and easy to remove and reuse.
- Smooth high-tensile wire, used sparingly—e.g., a single strand at the top.
- Post and rail – more expensive but safer and more visually appealing.
- Hedgerows – excellent natural barriers that also boost biodiversity.
The cons of barbed wire are overwhelming
- Wildlife injuries and deaths – including deer, badgers, foxes, owls, bats, and livestock.
- Human injuries – walkers, cyclists, children. I’ve been snagged several times—have you?
- Horses – barbed wire is a hidden menace for them too, particularly abandoned wire lurking in the undergrowth.
Landowners need to beware because they can be legally liable for preventable harm!
Who is pushing for more barbed wire?
Incredibly, Countryside Stewardship – the government’s grant scheme via DEFRA – actually REQUIRES barbed wire as a grant condition for some stock-proof fencing subsidies. That means taxpayers are literally funding more of this lethal fencing.
What has been done already?
- The British Deer Society is the strongest voice for change, documenting deer injuries—including photos of animals caught in exactly the way we found the faun.
- The Ramblers Association highlights risks to walkers and campaigns for safer fencing. (Just last week I saw a farmer who had topped a public footpath gate with barbed wire—and padlocked the gate.)
- In 2018, National Trust members voted against banning barbed wire – can we change this?
- There’s a Change.org petition—Ban Barb Wire in the UK—started in 2023, which has just over 1,150 signatures. (I recorded a short video to support this campaign—please watch and share.)
My call to action
Banning barbed wire is not an unrealistic dream—but it needs momentum from all of us. Here’s how you can help:
- Support the existing Change.org petition Ban Barb Wire in the UK—sign it, share it, and encourage others to do the same.
- Support the British Deer Society’s campaign.
- Write to your MP and share this blog with them.
- Encourage the National Trust to bring back a members’ vote—and get it passed this time.
- Contact Wildlife Trusts, Natural England, National Parks, the NFU, and others who manage our countryside—tell them enough is enough.
- Push for clean-up programmes to remove abandoned fencing.
- Join forces with Ramblers and rewilding groups to amplify the demand for change.
Share your photos and stories if you’ve witnessed barbed wire harming wildlife. I didn’t take one of the deer—it felt too gruesome—but perhaps I should have.
I don’t have the time to launch a new petition myself, but I hope you will consider signing or amplifying the existing one—or start your own campaign and keep me informed.
💬 Can you help? Would you support this cause? Which group or connection could be most effective?
Barbed wire was a bad invention. It is cruel, outdated, and unnecessary. Isn’t it time we removed it from our countryside?
