Badger Surveys

Contact Us
Badger by Andrew Parkinson/ 2020 Vision
© Andrew Parkinson/2020VISION

Badger

Badgers Meles meles are protected in the UK under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, which safeguards both badgers and their setts from harm and disturbance.

As a result, it is an offence to:

  • wilfully kill, injure, or take a badger
  • cruelly ill-treat or attempt to sell a badger
  • interfere with a sett, including damaging, destroying, or obstructing access
  • disturb a badger while it is occupying a sett
  • dig for badgers, including the use of dogs

Badgers can be affected by development activities, including:

  • Loss of or damage to badger setts, which can occur in a wide range of habitats including woodland, scrub, agricultural land, and urban areas
  • Habitat loss or fragmentation, affecting foraging areas and commuting routes.

The optimal timing for surveys can be found in our ecology calendar.

If your Preliminary Ecological Appraisal identifies potential constraints relating to badgers, further survey work may be required.

Adonis Blue can support you with all necessary surveys and mitigation.

Badger Surveys

Here are the main types of badger surveys used in development contexts:

Walkover Survey

  • Purpose: To identify the presence of badgers and locate any setts within or adjacent to the site
  • Method: A systematic walkover of the site is undertaken to search for and map: Badger setts, Latrines, Well-worn paths and runs, Foraging signs (e.g. snuffle holes) and Hair and other field signs
  • Timings: Surveys can be carried out year-round, but are most effective between February–April and September–November, when vegetation cover is reduced and field signs are easier to identify
  • Number of surveys: Typically one visit, sometimes, depending on the size and habitat complexity  of a site, undertaken as part of the Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA)

Sett Monitoring

  • Purpose: To confirm whether a sett is active, identify the species using it, and classify the sett (e.g. main, annex, subsidiary, or outlier)
  • Method: Camera traps are installed at sett entrances to record activity. Monitoring may be supplemented by checking for fresh field signs
  • Timings: Can be undertaken at any time of year, but optimal during February–April and September–November
  • Number of surveys: Cameras are typically deployed for 3–4 weeks continuously and periodically checked to ensure equipment is functioning and to review data

Protected Species Licensing

Where development is likely to impact a badger sett, a badger mitigation licence may be required from the relevant statutory nature conservation body (Natural England).

This licence permits activities that would otherwise be illegal, including: Interference with a badger sett, such as closure, destruction, or exclusion and Disturbance of badgers at or in close proximity to a sett.

Licensable works are typically restricted to the period July to November, which is considered the least sensitive time of year (avoiding the main breeding season).

Our experienced ecologists can guide you through the entire process from survey and assessment to licensing and implementation ensuring your project remains compliant and progresses smoothly.