Badger Surveys

Badger are fully protected in the UK. It is an offence to:

• wilfully kill, injure, take or attempt to kill a badger;

• to interfere with a badger sett by intentionally or recklessly causing or allowing:

  • damage to a sett or any part of it;

  • destruction of it;

  • sett access to be obstructed, or any entrance of it; or

  • disturbance to a badger when it is occupying it.

A badger sett is defined in law as any structure or place which displays signs of current use by a badger.

Badger are widely distributed across the UK though become less common in the north and west. They are not found on the Scottish Islands except for the Isle of Arran. Badger are commonly found in urban areas as well as rural areas, so it is likely that a survey will be required for most significant developments.

Reuben has extensive experience of badger surveying for a variety of developments and surveyed many squares for the Scottish Badger Distribution Survey between 2007 – 09.

Reuben has a number of trail cameras which are used for determining whether or not badger setts are currently in use, or if they are being used as a breeding sett with badger cubs present.