The Bedfordshire Badger Network

The members of this network comprise a group of people who give their time for the benefit of badgers and other wildlife.

The aims of this group are:

Badgers are found throughout Bedfordshire in small numbers although locally they can be more numerous. They prefer well-drained soils such as chalk or sand. Low lying areas or areas liable to flooding such as the river valleys are usually unsuitable. Setts are dug in field banks, hedgerows and woodlands. Sometimes they will make use of man made structures such as land drains and manholes especially in dry summers.

Many setts are close to urban areas and the expansion of industry and housing poses a special threat. Road casualties are unfortunately a frequent occurrence and new road schemes can have a disastrous effect on some populations. The Badger Network aims to lessen the impact of these developments.

Badgers, like much of our wildlife, are under threat. Fortunately our badgers in this area remain unaffected by Bovine Tuberculosis. However the following are some of the problems which may occur in our area:

Badgers and their setts are protected by law.

If you see or know of any problem involving badgers or their setts, please contact the Wildlife Crime Officer and the Network.

Out of hours, contact the 24 hour RSPCA hotline.

If out of office hours you think the law is being broken, then please contact a main police station and ask for the Wildlife Liaison Officer for your area.

If there is an immediate threat, do not approach or challenge. Make careful notes of exactly what happens, car registration numbers (also make, model and colour) if possible, personal descriptions etc. of people involved and wait for the police to arrive.

The group is interested in records of any badgers alive or dead. Most new records unfortunately come from road casualties. Do not put yourselves in danger if you see a badger road casualty make a note of the location and tell us. A call to the Highways Helpline will ensure that the body is safely removed. Remember injured badgers can be extremely dangerous and should only be handled by experienced people. Dead or injured badgers away from roads should always be reported to us.

Please contact us if you see a dead badger and give clear instructions as to exactly where it is. This information helps to locate unknown setts and builds up data on the number of badger deaths on roads.