The Badgers' Tale Goes On. REV

Two of last night's visitors

So first there was the nasty, noisy fight and then the next night no badgers came into the garden. The 'drinks and snacks' went largely untouched, except by the neighbours' cats.

A day later, the camera trap recorded two little badgers come into the garden, one after the other, and just these two have gone on visiting but not at first actually in each other's company as far as I could tell.

Then, the night before last, the two youngsters came in together and, last night, we recorded three together. But I think these may all be this years' cubs, which are now quite well grown. It seems that the family group has been scattered - it was eight before the battle - four adults and four cubs.

I know that badger battles can be very fierce (it certainly sounded like that during the battle) and that 'Onebar', the big boar, had been marking the garden recently as his territory (a process achieved by briefly sitting down). So, I think what may have happened is that he was challenged by another adult boar and either lost or he and some of the others decided to move away. We shall see. It is difficult to identify them, especially as the nights draw in but hopefully time will tell more about what happened.

Meanwhile, I am pleased to see at least a few of them.


However, I am far less pleased with this news:

Yes the great British badger cull is to resume and it has been extended to another county.

More about this sad situation here c/o Channel 4.

And opposition to the cull from many experts described HERE.