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Badger presence/absence survey
An initial badger presence/absence survey can be undertaken at any time of year. This survey aims to identify whether badgers are using a site or the areas immediately around a site, and to also identify potentially important commuting routes and foraging areas.
The survey involves a search for badger setts, latrines, snuffle holes, paw prints, worn paths and other signs of badger activity.
The survey is usually undertaken as part of a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal.
Badger monitoring survey
If badger are present then it may be necessary to monitor badger activity at a sett/site to determine the importance of the sett/site and local area for badger.
This may involve repeated survey visits over the year to map how badger activity has changed.
Camera traps may be used to capture images of badger activity to identify how a sett is used.
Badger bait marking survey
For large-scale/high impact projects it may be necessary to determine the location of main setts and the home range or territory of a badger family or families (known as clans).
A badger bait marking survey is where marked bait is left out at sett entrances and then tracked to badger latrines (open dung pits) once the markers have passed through the badgers to establish the badger clan's territory. Several surveys may need to be carried out to determine sett status and important feeding areas etc. as these may vary throughout the year.
Timing of surveys
- Presence/absence surveys – all year round, although the optimal time is generally in spring and early autumn/winter when activity increases and vegetation has dies back. This can be undertaken as part of a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal.
- Additional surveys – activity surveys, determination of badger home ranges, territory sizes, main sett location, etc. These surveys may need to be carried out depending on the likely impacts to badgers from a proposed development or an activity. The timing of these surveys may vary due to site specific conditions and may involve a series of surveys carried out throughout the year.
Mitigation and licencing
When surveys are complete, a full Ecological Impact Assessment of the proposed development or activity can be made and an appropriate and practical mitigation strategy can be devised and agreed.
Dependent upon the level of disturbance near a sett, a Natural England Class Licence or a bespoke mitigation licence to disturb and/or to destroy a sett may be required to progress a project.
Works under these licences are only permitted between July and November, inclusive, and may involve the replacement of an existing sett with an artificial sett.
For large landscape scale impacts it may be necessary to provide alternative connectivity and foraging habitat for badger.
Legislation
Badgers are afforded strict protection under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and Schedule 6 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended).
This means that it is an offence to willfully kill, injure, take, possess or cruelly ill-treat a badger or attempt to do so and also to intentionally or recklessly interfere with a sett. Sett interference includes disturbing badgers whilst they are occupying a sett, as well as damaging or destroying a sett or obstructing access routes.
Note
The above information is based on standard guidelines and current UK legislation. Every site is unique so please contact a Torc Ecology consultant who will advise on the best survey approach in relation to the project requirements.
Facts about badgers!
The badger is one of Britain’s largest mammals and an iconic species in the UK. With an estimated population of around 485,000 in England and Wales they are considered most common in the southwest of England.
A nocturnal animal, badgers live in often large family groups in extensive burrow systems known as a sett. Each social group or ‘clan’ usually has a main sett where the majority of the group live most of the time, but there may be other setts scattered around the territory that are used occasionally. Badgers often mark the boundaries of their territories with latrines – shallow dung pits where droppings are deposited.
Badgers exploit a wide variety of food items but earthworms generally form the majority of their diet. They also eat fruits and berries as well as other animals if the opportunity arises, including hedgehogs.
