Image: West Kent Badger Group logo
West Kent Badger Group
Image: A badger (Meles meles)
WKBG IN 2008
The West Kent Badger Group is a registered charity (charity registration
no. 1123499) and has an information stand at shows during 2008. Why not come along and find out more about badgers and the work of WKBG?
* Sunday 31 August 2008 - RSPB Wildlife & Country Fair, Northward Hill
Reserve, Medway
* Sunday 31 August 2008 - High Elms Country Park Open Day, Farnborough
* Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 September 2008 - Kent Goes Wild, Shorne Woods Country Park, Gravesend
The Group also meets at The Memorial Hall, St Mary's Platt, TN15 8JW for talks and presentations.
On Saturday 13 September 2008 at 8.00 pm the Autumn talk is by Aimee Taylor of Folly Wildlife
The public are welcome to attend.
Watch out for details of future shows and talks as they are confirmed.
Also check out our new website, (External)
www.wkbg.org.uk
.
Last updated 19/08/2008
Page navigation: Go to Top of page
January:
Female badgers are pregnant. Badger activity is irregular this month.
February:
This is the peak time for cub births. It is also the height of the badger's mating season.
March:
Badgers are now very active. As a result many are killed by road traffic at this time of year. At the sett, much bedding collection takes place.
April:
Cubs are now exploring their setts, right up to the entrance holes. Many will emerge for the first time this month.
May:
Badger cubs are now exploring the areas around their setts, making May a good month to start badger watching.
June:
Most cubs should be weaned by the end of this month. However in dry weather, mothers may suckle their cubs for longer. Badgers will emerge in daylight in undisturbed areas.
July:
Cubs are now around half the weight of an adult badger, and are finding food for themselves. Droughts may lead to more badgers being killed by road traffic.
August:
Badgers do a lot of digging at their setts this month. If earthworms are scarce badgers will take other foods such as cereals and fruits.
September:
This month many badgers will be gathering bedding material and taking it down into their setts. This is part of their preparations for winter.
October:
Feeding is the main priority for badgers this month, as badgers need to put on fat to see them through the winter. Fortunately there are now lots of fruits for badgers to eat.
November:
Badger activity levels gradually decline during November. The badgers start coming out later, and there is very little mating activity.
December:
Badgers may spend a lot of time sleeping in their setts this month. Because of this, few badgers are killed by road traffic. The fertilised eggs of female badgers now implant in the uterus and start developing.
Page navigation: Go to Top of page
The name badger is probably derived from the French word 'becheur' meaning digger, however an old Kentish name for the badger is 'earthpig'.
The badger belongs to the Mustelidae family of carnivores, along with otters and weasels. The male badger is called a boar, the female a sow (so that's why they called it earthpig!), and their young are called cubs.
Badgers can be found throughout Europe and in parts of Asia. In Britain they are most common in the South and South West of England. Being shy animals, badgers are rarely seen, they live underground in a sett, and usually only appear after dark.
The badger's only threat is from man, who destroys its habitat through development and changes of land use, and more shockingly through badger-baiting - a horrific blood sport. Sadly this activity still takes place in West Kent despite the fact that badgers and their setts are protected by Law.
Page navigation: Go to Top of page
Image: A badger (Meles meles)
West Kent Badger Group is a member of the Badger Trust family. Put simply, our role is to protect badgers and to promote their conservation in West Kent. Our group of volunteers is involved in a variety of activities such as:
Education - badgers are part of our wildlife heritage, we regularly give talks in schools and to community groups such as the Women's Institute (our talks aren't just for youngsters). We also attend countryside events such as the Kent County Show.
Protection - from planning applications, to becoming involved in consultations on schemes for new developments. If it affects badgers, we're there.
Rescue - we run a 24h rescue service for sick, injured or distressed badgers.
Advice - we help landowners and occupiers with badger problems and liaise with the police and RSPCA over cases of cruelty or other infringements of badger protection legislation.
Monitoring - we monitor known badger setts for changes and signs of disturbance.
Page navigation: Go to Top of page
The West Kent Badger Group is run entirely by volunteers and we welcome support from new members.
There are lots of ways you can help the Group:
By joining the Group - Subscriptions are £10 a year for adults and £5 for children aged 15 or under. Group memberships are available too. Members receive 4 newsletters a year, mailed directly to you at home.
By getting actively involved - What are you good at? Chances are your skills are just what we're looking for! Whether it's helping out with badger rescues, surveying a sett, writing an article for our newsletter, or even updating this web page for us, you'll receive a warm welcome from the Group.
Please download our membership application form (PDF format). If you do not have acrobat reader installed on your computer, you can (External) download the latest version free of charge.
Page navigation: Go to Top of page
To report an injured or dead badger: Telephone 01474 703948
Membership enquiries: Telephone 01474 703948, write to PO Box 301, Gravesend, Kent DA12 9AB or email westkentbadgergroup#yahoo.co.uk (replace # with @ for a valid e-mail address)
To find out more about badger talks: Telephone 01474 703948 or email westkentbadgergroup#yahoo.co.uk (replace # with @ for a valid e-mail address)
General enquiries: PO Box 301, Gravesend, Kent DA12 9AB or email westkentbadgergroup#yahoo.co.uk (replace # with @ for a valid e-mail address)
Page navigation: Go to Top of page
West Kent Badger Group is a member of the
Badger Trust
Web page hosted by
Badger Groups UK