New Forest

Badger Cam.

/ Andy Finnegan / Leave a comment

On our walks, we have come across many Badger Setts; those in the New Forest are the easiest to access as they are not on private land. The more we find, the more the telltale signs of a sett are apparent in the landscape.

Last week, we put out cameras on a sett where there were signs of fresh Badger activity. We collected the cameras today.

Happy Badgers.

/ Andy Finnegan / 3 Comments

Still photos taken from trail camera footage.

Some more Badger trail camera footage from The New Forest. This demonstrates good interaction between up to three animals. They seem to be playing; if the rolling around was in anger, I am sure that with their strong jaws and claws, there would be injuries. Our trail cameras are often knocked over, you can see how!

Badgers are the UK’s largest land predator and are one of the most well-known British species. They are famed for their black and white stripes and sturdy bodies, using their strong front paws to dig for food and to perfect their burrows, called ‘setts’.

Length: 75-100cm
Tail: 15cm
Weight: 8-12kg
Average lifespan: 5-8 years

Badgers are protected in the UK under the Protection of Badgers Act, 1992, and the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

Mr Badger.

/ Andy Finnegan / 6 Comments

In the book The Wind in the Willows, Mr Badger is one of Rat, Toad, and later Mole’s good friends. He’s a wealthy older gentleman who lives in the heart of the Wild Wood, in an extensive underground home. Our Badger sett is in the heart of the New Forest, with many entrances to their subterranean home.

Badgers are our largest land predator, feeding on small mammals, birds’ eggs, worms, fruit and plants.

Our trail cameras picked up some good footage of the Badger last week.