Badgers

Badgers are widespread and relatively common throughout Britain. Badgers are social animals which live in groups of up to 15 animals in an underground system of tunnels called a sett. Badgers tend to inhabit areas with mixed land use with short, improved grassland being of particular importance due to the usually plentiful supply of earthworms which make up a large proportion of the badger’s diet.

Legal Protection and UK BAP Status

Badgers and their setts are legally protected under The Protection of Badgers Act, 1992. This Act is based upon the need to prevent badger baiting and any deliberate harm or injury. It is also an offence to cause damage to or to destroy a badger sett, to obstruct access to any entrance or to disturb a badger when it is occupying a sett. Destruction of important areas of badger foraging habitat may also contravene the Act, as it could be treated as cruelty.

Under this Act, a sett is defined as ‘any structure or place that displays signs indicating current use by a badger’. This includes use within the last year. For sites undergoing development, this means that “significant” construction activities within 30m of a sett would require a licence from Natural England. Other restrictions apply for less significant activities close to a sett. There is also a ‘closed season’ for development near a sett, which is imposed between 1st December and 30th June, when badgers are breeding.

Greenprint Ecology services related to badgers

  • Full badger surveys, including classification of setts;
  • Where appropriate, badger bait-marking surveys to ascertain social group status;
  • Advice concerning all aspects of badger presence and Natural England licence application.

badger eating

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