dead animals in locks

[harve90]

On a recent trip from Tring to Tardebigge I was surprised to see a dead animals floating in several of the locks along the route. Although the creatures were floating close to the boat it was hard to tell what species I was looking at because they were very bloated. I think they may have been Beavers, all looked identical. Could these animals have been nesting in the locks and died when the paddles were opened. Has anyone else seen the like of this. I saw at least eight. Not the same one eight times just thought I would mention that as if replies on this forum are true to form ...... well you know what I mean. Anyhow is this a common sight at this time of year or am I unwittingly guilty of a one man cull of species specific wildlife?

[Beaker]

I didn't know that beavers nested, I'm certainly not googling it!

[tree monkey]

On a recent trip from Tring to Tardebigge I was surprised to see a dead animals floating in several of the locks along the route. Although the creatures were floating close to the boat it was hard to tell what species I was looking at because they were very bloated. I think they may have been Beavers, all looked identical. Could these animals have been nesting in the locks and died when the paddles were opened. Has anyone else seen the like of this. I saw at least eight. Not the same one eight times just thought I would mention that as if replies on this forum are true to form ...... well you know what I mean. Anyhow is this a common sight at this time of year or am I unwittingly guilty of a one man cull of species specific wildlife?

i have no idea what you saw but i can with almost 100% certainty tell you it wasn't a beaver, i think there is a local large rodent that established itself after escaping from a private collection, called a Glis Glis , they may have been those?

Beaker, on 10 Feb 2014 - 9:22 PM, said:

I didn't know that beavers nested, I'm certainly not googling it!

disappointingly

http://admin.harunyahya.com/books/science/devotion/images_devotion/beaver3.jpg

[Guest]

Have encounterd dead puppies in the cut before.

 

Where they these perhaps..?

[Beaker]

 

 

disappointingly

http://admin.harunyahya.com/books/science/devotion/images_devotion/beaver3.jpg

 

That's not a nest, it's a lodge.

 

"And some fell on stony ground."

[tree monkey]

Beaker, on 10 Feb 2014 - 9:30 PM, said:

 

That's not a nest, it's a lodge.

 

"And some fell on stony ground."

i am very aware what a beavers lodge is and was just playing along with your light hearted post

"And some fell on stony ground."

[mark99]

Coypu? meant to be eradicated.

[MtB]

MtB wisdom regarding animal corpses in the cut:

 

Sometime animals die and fall in. Other times animals fall in and die.

 

There. Was that helpful?

 

 

MtB

[Beaker]

i am very aware what a beavers lodge is and was just playing along with your light hearted post

"And some fell on stony ground."

 

Touche!

 

ETA Can't find the acute accent on my tablet.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Beaker

[Guest]

MtB wisdom regarding animal corpses in the cut:

 

Sometime animals die and fall in. Other times animals fall in and die.

 

There. Was that helpful?

 

 

MtB

Nope.

 

Sometimes animals die when they are thrown in..

[harve90]

To big to be Glis glis and not any kind of dog. Sorry I am no expert on Beavers (some would disagree) accommodations, lodge it is then I won't forget that one again. I should have taken a photo of one, the animals in the lock I mean, not a Beaver. It's a mystery.

Edited February 10, 2014 by harve90

[Guest]

To big to be Glis glis and not any kind of dog. Sorry I am no expert on Beavers (some would disagree) accommodations, lodge it is then I won't forget that one again. I should have taken a photo of one, the animals in the lock I mean, not a Beaver. It's a mystery.

Corpses swell when in water..

[harve90]

A glis glis wouldn't swell to that size surely ?

[Peter Reed]

Corpses swell when in water..

And they swell on land

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

hedghogs swell to 12 inch diameter and if you squash them with the boat phew!

[RLWP]

Rabbits are the most common bloated corpse around here

 

Richard

[Water Rat.]

Could be Muntjac deer? Or Rabbits? I used to see quite a few dead things bobbing around on the Tring Summit. The straight sides stop them from getting out.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Water Rat.

[LoneWolf]

Rabbits are the most common bloated corpse around here

 

Richard

 

Rabbits the most common by far round this way as well

 

Followed by small rodents killed by my cat

I saw a moorhen surfing on a dead cat near Coventry

and I did have to flush a dead sheep out of a lock once

[Nightwatch]

I did have to flush a dead sheep out of a lock once

We always carry mint sauce onboard!

 

Martyn.

 

Smiley here.

[junior]

On the Aylesbury Arm back in November there was about 6 or 7 full size dead deer in one of the pounds. Looked like they all had a bullet hole in the head.

[station tug]

mink????

[Catrin]

I don't believe that you will find any beaver nesting wild in the UK. I also think that they build lodges in rivers. I don't think they can possibly be beavers. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/wild-beaver-spotted-in-england-for-first-time-in-800-years-8717543.html

[Athy]

mink????

I hope so. I hope they were not otters.

[patty-ann]

Muntjac deer are the size of dogs and there have been otters sited but if there was that many it points to a more common animal. Guess shows importance of keeping cameras handy,. I heard in our local tescos that the camera snapping brigade had stampeded one of the otters seen locally to its death--not quite sure how as I left because it appeared a highly amusing topic amongst the staff.

[alan_fincher]

Tring area I would agree that rabbits is by far the most common.

 

On a larger scale sheep are quite common as well.

 

Seldom seen anything more exotic, though.