BADGERS

Meles meles

Badgers are the largest land carnivore in the UK and their main food source are worms. However, they will eat almost anything.

Badgers and their setts are protected under UK legislation:

Wildlife & Countryside Act (as Amended) 1981: Schedule 6, and the Badger Protection Act 1992.

Which makes it an offence to;

Intentionally capture, kill or injure a badger. Damage, destroy or block access to their setts. Disturb badgers in their setts. Ttreat a badger cruelly. Deliberately send or intentionally allow a dog into a sett. Bait or dig for badgers. Have or sell a badger, or offer a live badger for sale.  Have or possess a dead badger or parts of a badger (if acquired illegally) and or mark or attach a marking device to a badger

Sett location and badger evidence surveys can be completed at any time of year.

If badger setts and/or field signs are discovered, either on the project site or anywhere within 1km of the site, then further surveys are necessary.

Bait marking surveys are used to determine the territories of badger social groups (clans). This builds the data needed to distinguish sett use and population distribution in and around the project site.

If setts are active and your proposals would result in impacting on the setts, a development licence can be applied for from the relevant authority, providing the cause is justified and there is no alternative.

Setts can then be blocked with the use of one-way gates, and if necessary an artificial sett created somewhere within the vicinity.

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Survey Methods

Habitat Assessment
This is a scoping survey to evaluate the project site and surrounding landscape, to search for

evidence of badger presence.

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Activity Surveys and Sett Monitoring
This involves monitoring the setts with remote infrared cameras. Other techniques such as placing sand and ‘sticky sticks’ within the sett entrance to determine presence/absence are also used.

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Bait Marking Surveys / Territory Mapping
Placing food parcels laced with indigestible coloured beads around setts and within a 1km radius of the project site can determine which badger setts are active, and which badger clan are occupying them.

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Further information

https://www.gov.uk/badgers-surveys-and-mitigation-for-development-projects