Badger Surveys
Legislation for Badgers
Badgers Meles meles are protected under The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 which makes it an offence to:
- Wilfully kill, injure, take, or attempt to kill, injure or take a badger.
- Cruelly ill-treat a badger, including use of tongs and digging.
- Possess or control a dead badger or any part thereof.
- Intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy or obstruct access to a badger sett or any part thereof.
- Intentionally or recklessly disturb a badger when it is occupying a badger sett.
- Intentionally or recklessly cause a dog to enter a badger sett.
- Sell or offers for sale, possesses or has under his control, a live badger.
Badger setts can extend 30m underground and therefore development activities within 30m of a badger sett, particularly those which involve the breaking of ground, could result in damage, destruction or obstruction of badger setts and disturbance to badgers.
Survey Methodology
The methodology for badger surveys will depend upon the survey objectives. Two of the most common badger survey methodologies are described below.
Badger Sett Identification
A daytime walkover of the site, and the surrounding 30m where accessible, will be undertaken to identify evidence of badger including setts, bedding material, tracks, hairs, paths, scratching posts, dung pits and latrines and foraging signs such as digging or snuffle holes. Where present, field signs of badger will be mapped and photographed.
Badger Sett Characterisation
Where badger setts are identified within 30m of a site, further surveys may be necessary to characterise the type of badger sett and the level of badger activity.
This will typically require multiple visits over a period of at least four weeks and may include the deployment of trail cameras to record activity associated with the setts.
Complementary survey methods may include spreading sand or installing sticks in sett entrances to detect badger tracks or emergence or re-entry activity associated with the holes (badgers are typically meticulous with keeping well used sett entrances clear of debris).
Badger setts may be characterised as main, annexe, subsidiary or outlier setts and as active, partially active or disused.
Key Survey Considerations
Badger surveys can be completed all year round, though surveys may be hampered by dense vegetation during the summer months as visibility of setts and other field signs may be restricted.
Additional Requirements
Badgers are very active within their territories and existing setts can become active and new setts can be excavated over a short period of time. Therefore, multiple badger surveys may be required prior to and during the construction of a development to protect badgers and their setts.
Where active badger setts will be impacted, a badger development licence may be required from the relevant statutory authority. Badger licences can only be issued between July and November to avoid the breeding period when badgers spend more time underground and their young are most vulnerable. If a main badger sett is to be destroyed, an artificial sett will need to be provided prior to destruction taking place.
Further Survey Information
The survey will be undertaken in accordance with the following publication:
- Harris, S., Cresswell, P. and Jefferies, D.J. (1989). Surveying Badgers. Mammal Society, London.