BADGER WATCH ECOLOGY

By watching almost every night of the year, for several decades, it is possible to build up a picture of some aspects of a Badger's life which may not otherwise be obvious. This is some of our experience:-

The bald and often sore patch frequently seen above the tail of a mature boar is generally referred to as a fight wound. In our experience this is seldom so and is more likely to be a glandular condition, possibly prevalent at times of sexual activity, although this requires more study. Such 'wounds' become aggravated, and then recede, several times a season, frequently at times when there is no aggression within or outside the sett. Slow motion video replays indicate cheeks and flanks as more usual targets during fighting.

Winter emergence, until they all reappear in early February, is confined mostly to those under two years of age which are seen above ground nightly, whatever the temperature, occasionally with older boars and less often with breeding sows.

Disturbance within a family is restricted almost entirely to a spell of about ten days in February when boars are aggressive with one another. Mating activity is more competitive then and is often more intense than at other times of the year.

Mating at other times is often a family affair, with junior boars lying around the couple in apparently sleepy poses, awaiting their turn or sometimes, without aggression, attempting to join in. Often 'mating' couples turn out to be boars and sometimes these become three or more males in a mounted line.

Rarely, intense fighting breaks out within a family which results in death and dispersal. Probably as a result of a perception of overpopulation and possibly aided by too much in-breeding. In such cases badgers spend long periods in continual bouts of conflict and show no interest in feeding, causing severe loss of condition. This may often explain desertion of long-established setts, badgers in poor and tattered condition found wandering miles from their known territory and those whose 'territorial' wounds have been repaired by vets, only to be found shortly after their return in similar condition.

Fighting with outsiders is, of course, more common. In the area of a sett such an animal stands little chance as an attack by one resident is followed by a rush of all family members to the scene and often a severe beating for the in-comer. For this reason feeding badgers at a sett can never attract in badgers from other setts.

Many people feed badgers and there is no doubt but that to study them this is a legitimate aid. However, it is important that any feeding should be both regular and minimal in quantity. We achieve this by raking back an area of dry soil and then covering a handful of peanuts so that badgers are held in view for a few minutes without distorting their diet. They may not turn cartwheels whilst snuffling around for food, but watched over a long period much more of their behaviour is revealed.

It is difficult to see that a sow is lactating until early April. However, if there are foxes about it is a certain indicator that there are badger cubs underground when, from early February, they are chased away by sow badgers. Boars take little notice.

Cubs are particularly vulnerable at weaning when often all adults, including mothers, leave them to their own devices whilst they go foraging for hours at a time. With no protection, and little available food near the sett, there are sometimes losses in early May.

In dry summer weather badgers will often tear up lush green grass for bedding, presumably to help maintain the humidity they prefer underground.

Oddly, badgers are attracted to rubber. We once lost a pair of rubber boots and two car mats to a thief who left a trail of disturbed leaves and broken daffodil stems leading to their sett. They were neve seen again. A camera remote-control rubber airline was retrieved in a tangle heap from outside the sett, six weeks after its loss, punctured throughout its length.

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