Badger Trust-Sussex

The European badger is one of Britain's largest and possibly best loved wild mammals. With its distinctive black and white striped face and shy, gentle nature it certainly holds appeal for most people, yet few will have been lucky enough to have actually seen a badger in natural surroundings.

 

This is because the badger is a nocturnal animal which is normally secretive and tries to avoid man.

By nature badgers are extremely clean and intelligent animals which live together in well-ordered social groups, each with its own distinct territory often/sometimes covering a surprisingly large area

 

Their underground homes, or setts as they are correctly termed, can be an amazing labyrinth of tunnels and chambers, often covering a large area.

 

Badgers are omnivorous and eat a wide variety of foods including earthworms, beetles and fruit. They do no real harm to anyone and landowners generally welcome them.

Badgers have been present in Britain for thousands of years - their bones have been found alongside those of cave bear and elk.

 

They have managed to survive while other animals such as wild boar, wolves and bears have become extinct. However, nowadays the species faces many pressures such as habitat habitat destruction and illegal persecution and roads (10,000 a year die on our roads)