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History and decline of Badgers in Essex
Journal
Mammal
Review
Volume 21 Issue 2,Pages67-80 Published Online: 10Apr2008
Authors
CHRISTINE SKINNER 1 , PAUL SKINNER 1 STEPHEN HARRIS
* 1 8-Newham Lane, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3LR * Department of
Zoology, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, U.K. *
Correspondence and offprints requests to Stephen Harris.
Abstract
The past history of the Badger in Essex is reviewed.
It is shown that the population has fluctuated in the past, and that heavy
gamekeeping pressure probably reduced numbers at the turn of the century,
although Badgers were probably never as rare as early recorders believed.
In recent years Badgers have been rare or absent in many areas of the
county because they did not afford suitable sett sites, and the county as
a whole is not particularly good for Badgers. Against this already
low-density Badger population, in the 20 years up to the mid-1980s, 36 %
of known setts had disappeared, with agricultural activities being the
major cause of sett losses, and of the remaining setts there was a 14 %
reduction in the number occupied by Badgers. Also, the modal sett size was
reduced from six holes to three. Direct disturbance affected nearly a
quarter of all viable setts in Essex. The significance of these findings
is evaluated, and the effects of changing land use, sett disturbance,
Badger digging, road deaths and sub-lethal levels of agricultural
chemicals on Badger numbers are discussed and quantified where possible.
The possible effects of a continued fragmentation of the Badger population
in Essex is reviewed. The need for further research on particular aspects
of the problem, and the value of such data in understanding the population
pressures facing the Badger elsewhere in Europe, are highlighted.
Keywords
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