The Nottinghamshire Badger Group

Every month - another woodland sett is bulldozed

Every week - 170 badgers are killed by badger diggers

Every day - 120 badgers are killed on the roads

Aims and Objectives of the Nottinghamshire Badger Group

To actively campaign for changes in the law which will effectively abolish all forms of persecution of the badger
To provide measures which will enhance the welfare and conservation of the badger and as far as practicable, protect them from injury, ill treatment and destruction
To increase public awareness of the badger and the dangers to which it is exposed
To study and record badger actvities in Nottinghamshire and to do so within strict guidelines set out by the committee of management of the group
To liaise with and encourage co-operation between local authorities, land owners and land managers with a view to promoting these objectives and where possible and appropriate to give advice and assistance on matters related to badger welfare
To encourage appreciation, tolerance and respect for all wildlife

The badger in brief

The badger is a nocturnal animal and hence is rarely seen, but is found throughout Britain. Its eyesight is poor, relying largely upon acute hearing and sense of smell for detecting food, other badgers and danger.

Badgers are omnivorous, feeding on a varied diet including fruit, nuts, insects, grubs, but mostly earthworms.

Badgers live in social groups called clans, in an underground network of tunnels and chambers called a sett. These are excavated by their powerful forelegs and strong claws. Badger setts are commonly found in woodland, but can also be found in many different locations including hedgerows, ditches, rail embankments and even gardens!

Badgers collect bedding such as dry straw or grass which they bundle up to drag into the sett. This is often changed and can sometimes be found discarded outside the sett entrances amongst the characteristic heap of excavated soil.

Badger cubs are normally born in February, emerging from the sett during late May or June.

Threats and dangers

The badger has no natural predators. Man and his dogs are its only enemies. Digging and lamping for badgers, and badger baiting are illegal. Both are practiced in Nottinghamshire.

The badger is a timid animal by nature, but will defend itself and cubs if attacked by dogs.

Badger baiting entails setting dogs onto a captured badger. The badger is commonly maimed beforehand by having legs/jaws broken to reduce injuries to the dogs. Both dogs and badgers suffer appalling injuries during baiting which can last for several hours.

Badgers are often caught in snares and suffer agonising death if not found, treated and released. Any snare is illegal if used against a badger.

Gassing of badgers is illegal.Some setts have been gassed on the pretext of gassing rabbits or rats.

Very large numbers of badgers are killed on our roads whilst crossing to gain access to feeding sites.

Increasing road construction & building work are constantly reducing the badgers' habitat.

The law in brief

Badgers are protected by the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 which consolidates previous legislation under one act. This makes it illegal to -

mark or ring a badger
to sell, try to sell or keep a live badger
to posses a dead badger or part of one which has been acquired illegally
to kill, take, or injure any badger, including use of gas, poison or snares
to cruelly ill treat any badger
to use badger tongs
to interfere with a badger sett whether by intention or recklessness
to obstruct a sett entrance*
to cause a dog to enter a badger sett
to disturb a badger when it is occupying a sett

* The practice of earth-stopping by recognised fox hunts is permitted within certain constraints

What you can do

If you see anyone with dogs and equipment (spades, nets etc) at or near a set, try to observe their actvities. Note their appearance, type and number of dogs and any implements used.

Look for any vehicles and note type, colour and registration numbers.

Notify this information together with an accurate location immediately to the police by telephoning 999.

Do not tackle diggers or lampers, leave it to the police.

Report any badger casualties. Even dead badgers can provide us with valuable information.

The Nottinghamshire Badger Group has a list of badger setts and welcomes up to date information on a confidential basis.

Tell your friends about the Badger Group.

Join the Nottinghamshire Badger Group and help us in our work to protect the badger.

The work of the Nottinghamshire Badger Group

Surveying the county for new badger setts
Monitoring known badger setts
Protection of vulnerable badger setts
Construction of artificial badger setts for the release of rescued/orphaned badgers
Attending to injured badgers
Nursing of injured badgers at the group's rehabilitation centre
Providing educational talks and displays
Fundraising

For details of membership and for any other enquiries please contact us through the National Federation of Badger Groups:

NFBG
15 Cloisters Business Centre
8 Battersea Park Road
LONDON
SW8 4BG

020 7498 3220

The Nottinghamshire Badger Group

Every month - another woodland sett is bulldozed

Every week - 170 badgers are killed by badger diggers

Every day - 120 badgers are killed on the roads

Aims and Objectives of the Nottinghamshire Badger Group

To actively campaign for changes in the law which will effectively abolish all forms of persecution of the badger

To provide measures which will enhance the welfare and conservation of the badger and as far as practicable, protect them from injury, ill treatment and destruction

To increase public awareness of the badger and the dangers to which it is exposed

To study and record badger actvities in Nottinghamshire and to do so within strict guidelines set out by the committee of management of the group

To liaise with and encourage co-operation between local authorities, land owners and land managers with a view to promoting these objectives and where possible and appropriate to give advice and assistance on matters related to badger welfare

To encourage appreciation, tolerance and respect for all wildlife

The badger in brief

The badger is a nocturnal animal and hence is rarely seen, but is found throughout Britain. Its eyesight is poor, relying largely upon acute hearing and sense of smell for detecting food, other badgers and danger.

Badgers are omnivorous, feeding on a varied diet including fruit, nuts, insects, grubs, but mostly earthworms.

Badgers collect bedding such as dry straw or grass which they bundle up to drag into the sett. This is often changed and can sometimes be found discarded outside the sett entrances amongst the characteristic heap of excavated soil.

Badger cubs are normally born in February, emerging from the sett during late May or June.

Threats and dangers

The badger has no natural predators. Man and his dogs are its only enemies. Digging and lamping for badgers, and badger baiting are illegal. Both are practiced in Nottinghamshire.

The badger is a timid animal by nature, but will defend itself and cubs if attacked by dogs.

Badger baiting entails setting dogs onto a captured badger. The badger is commonly maimed beforehand by having legs/jaws broken to reduce injuries to the dogs. Both dogs and badgers suffer appalling injuries during baiting which can last for several hours.

Badgers are often caught in snares and suffer agonising death if not found, treated and released. Any snare is illegal if used against a badger.

Gassing of badgers is illegal.Some setts have been gassed on the pretext of gassing rabbits or rats.

Very large numbers of badgers are killed on our roads whilst crossing to gain access to feeding sites.

Increasing road construction & building work are constantly reducing the badgers' habitat.

The law in brief

Badgers are protected by the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 which consolidates previous legislation under one act. This makes it illegal to -

mark or ring a badger

to sell, try to sell or keep a live badger

to posses a dead badger or part of one which has been acquired illegally

to kill, take, or injure any badger, including use of gas, poison or snares

to cruelly ill treat any badger

to use badger tongs

to interfere with a badger sett whether by intention or recklessness

to obstruct a sett entrance*

to cause a dog to enter a badger sett

to disturb a badger when it is occupying a sett

* The practice of earth-stopping by recognised fox hunts is permitted within certain constraints

What you can do

If you see anyone with dogs and equipment (spades, nets etc) at or near a set, try to observe their actvities. Note their appearance, type and number of dogs and any implements used.

Look for any vehicles and note type, colour and registration numbers.

Notify this information together with an accurate location immediately to the police by telephoning 999.

Do not tackle diggers or lampers, leave it to the police.

Report any badger casualties. Even dead badgers can provide us with valuable information.

The Nottinghamshire Badger Group has a list of badger setts and welcomes up to date information on a confidential basis.

Tell your friends about the Badger Group.

Join the Nottinghamshire Badger Group and help us in our work to protect the badger.

The work of the Nottinghamshire Badger Group

Surveying the county for new badger setts

Monitoring known badger setts

Protection of vulnerable badger setts

Construction of artificial badger setts for the release of rescued/orphaned badgers

Attending to injured badgers

Nursing of injured badgers at the group's rehabilitation centre

Providing educational talks and displays

Fundraising

For details of membership and for any other enquiries please contact us through the National Federation of Badger Groups:

NFBG 15 Cloisters Business Centre 8 Battersea Park Road LONDON SW8 4BG 020 7498 3220

© Nottinghamshire Badger Group May 2000

NFBG
15 Cloisters Business Centre
8 Battersea Park Road
LONDON
SW8 4BG

020 7498 3220