Badgers Policy
Badgers and their setts are fully protected by The Protection of Badgers Act 1992.
Badgerland stand 100% behind this legislation. For centuries badgers
were an abused and tortured species, which are rightly now deserving of
and perhaps even enjoying their protected status.
In our view, in principle, the legislation works pretty well; albeit
with the exceptions you would probably expect of legislation of this
kind. The Police, the Crown Prosecution and the Courts have not
always taken wildlife crime as seriously as they might do, with the
consequence that some areas are a little neglected. We would prefer to
see those convicted of wildlife-related crime being classed as a
notifiable offence, which would mean that accurate figures would be
available for the number of prosecutions and convictions achieved across
the nation. In this way it would be possible to see which areas were
serious about tackling wildlife-crime and which needed to make a more
determined effort. We would also like to see alternative sentencing
strategies for those convicted of badger-crime - perhaps if a penalty
included a term that an offender could not work as a game-keeper for 3
years, or could not own, keep or use a firearm, catapult. bow or
crossbow, or could not be in possession or ownership of a dog or had an
extended vehicle driving ban, it might reduce the numbers of badgers which are caught indiscriminately
in wire snares or poisoned. In this "internet" age, we would also like
to see judges make order banning criminals from putting up pages on
YouTube, FaceBook or selling goods on the likes of eBay.
We would also like to see national government introduce laws which
cover the whole nation; and which did not allow certain areas to
"opt-out" of or weaken wildlife protection. We would like to
see a mandatory jail term for badger baiters, across the whole of the
UK.
Where badger protection falls down is where the area around a sett
can be developed to such an extent that leads the sett unharmed but
unviable for a clan of badgers. We would like to see badger foraging areas completely protected from
development and exclusion too. Legislation like this would still allow
farmers to go about their business with crops and animals, but would
prevent the "concreting over" of badger territories and
foraging areas. In this way, areas of greenbelt would become far more
like the wildlife-friendly parks which many people hope for.
We would also like to see more steps taken to expand areas suitable
for badgers and other wildlife. In our view certain areas of the country
form the basis for very good badger habitats, but are not currently
occupied due to adverse ground conditions or a lack of badgers being
nearby. We would like to see farmers able to get as much money for
creating badger habitats and homes as for doing traditional faming
activities. The Scottish Highlands and Islands are potentially very good
badger territory, but have few badgers; and similar considerations apply
to some areas of Scotland, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District.
We would also like to see more determined efforts made by various
animal charities to defend, protect and preserve wildlife, so it can
live a safe, natural lifestyle. In our experience the
Badger Trust
stands out "head and shoulders" above other charities when it
comes to badger issues. Some individuals within the RSPCA also have
very, very good knowledge and experience of badgers. However, we have
had personal experience of some people who work for the RSPCA who know
next to nothing about badgers but are utterly unable to recognise or
admit the fact. We'd like to see organisations which do not specialise
in badgers admit the fact that they may have limited knowledge in
certain areas; and hand over the management of badger casualties to a
professional specialist body like the
Badger Trust.
We would also like to see "Centres of Excellence" for
badgers in different areas of the UK. At present, the most famous and
successful badger-rehabilitation charity is Secret World
in Somerset in the South-West of England. We would be very strongly in
favour of having several centres of excellence across the whole of the
UK and Ireland. This would mean that areas of the country like Scotland,
Northern Ireland and the North of England had easy and speedy access to
a rehab centre; and it would also make it easier to have regional teams
of vets who really understood badger-medicine. We have heard too many
stories of where a vet has put a badger to sleep because he or she did
not have the facilities to deal with it or because there was not a local
rehab centre.
So far as Badgerland are concerned, it is our view that badgers are
wild creatures who ought to live a life of natural freedom in their
protected environment. On occasion, this may mean preventing a property
developer from building "just one more" housing development;
or keeping land as a wild-green natural space - even though some-one
thinks it would be better covered in a sports-centre or floodlights or
concrete. After all, a walk through the countryside, is every bit as
healthy as a walk on a stainless-steel treadmill in a concrete
office-block.
We also take the view that badgers ought to be left pretty much alone
to live their lives as they see fit. If we can help them a little, with
an occasional handful of peanuts or a bowl of cat food or dog food then that is OK;
but we should resist the temptation to place badgers in the confines of
a zoo for no more purpose than to entertain us.
As wild animals, we should also let badgers do "their
thing" - even if that includes fighting amongst themselves or doing
other seemingly unpleasant things. Whilst many people are tempted to try
and intervene when a badger has even a minor injury; it can sometimes be more
cruel to cause serious stress by removing that badger from the clan;
just so it can be treated for something trivial at the vets. The
progression of a wild badger up and then down the pecking order of a
badger clan is a natural process; and we often do badgers little good by
trying to apply human values to badger society.
We do, of course, favour intervening when badgers are in serious
trouble. If a badger is dying a slow, painful, protracted death at the
roadside, then it remains a humane act of kindness to end its suffering
by the use of expert veterinary expertise. Similarly, expert
rehabilitation may enable an injured badger to be saved and live a wild life
which is worth living. Intervening with young badger cubs can require
the patience of a saint, but the benefits can be enormous; as good rehab
centres can assemble cubs into a new, loving, happy badger family which
will go on to thrive. |