Conservation & Ecology
Badgers and their protection Nature’s JCBs
Badgers are an emotive subject. There is no doubting their ‘cuteness’ and, since a starring roll in Wind In The Willows, they have captured the public’s affection.
Now a fully protected species in the UK, emotions are once again running high as the Government’s concern over the spread of bovine TB results in regional culls.
But, what exactly does Mr Badger get up to as he goes about his daily life?
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Anyone lucky enough to watch them in the wild as they emerge, groom, feed and interact will understand why these iconic animals hold such a place in the nation’s affections
adgers are nocturnal, powerful, social animals. They live much of their lives below ground in family groups and, sadly, the only time many people see them is as
carcasses on the roads; victims of today’s high-speed and increasingly busy traffic. Anyone lucky enough to watch them in the wild as they emerge, groom, feed and interact will understand why these iconic animals hold such a place in the nation’s affections. Badgers are supreme diggers, and it seems
114 I PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2016
likely that their name is derived from ‘becheur’, the French for digger. In the wild, they live for five to seven years, though some survive until they reach twelve or thirteen. Females are called sows, males are known as boars. The young are cubs. Body weight of adult badgers varies with
the season, the area in which they live, the amount of food available and their age. Badgers are at their heaviest in late autumn as they fatten up for winter. They then feed less, spend more time inactive underground
and, subsequently, their weight falls away. Sows are at their lightest after giving birth. Research at Woodchester Park, in
Gloucestershire, where badgers have been studied since the seventies, showed that, typically, boars weighed around 1kg heavier than sows throughout the year, averaging around 9.3kg compared to sows at a touch over 8kg. Some of the heaviest British badgers recorded have reached weights of 23-27kg. Other than the genitalia, normally visible only when badgers sit up to scratch or lie
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