The badger (Meles meles) in Britain: present status and future population changes

Abstract

Over the past 150 years the badger is believed to have undergone major changes in status, and possibly also in distribution. In the last century persecution by gamekeepers in particular had an impact on badger numbers, especially in East Anglia. More recent changes in badger numbers and the need for a quantified base line survey against which to monitor future population changcs provided the stimulus for a quantified national badger survey. This was achieved in the mid-1980s by a stratified survey in which prc-selected one kilometre squares used in the Institute of'l'errestrial Ecology land classification system were surveyed for badgers. A total of 2455 squares (1.05%) of the land area of Britain) was surveyed, and this provided a means to (a) assess the current distribution and status of the badger, (b) assess the current levels of persecution of badgers and (c) monitor future badger population changes. Currently there are approximately 43 000 badger social groups in Britain. Sett blocking and badger digging were found to he widespread, and their effects on the badger population are discussed, as are the cfferts of the current 'I'B control opcrations in south-wcst Britain. Future patterns of land use, particularly in response to rhangrs in farming practicc, could have significant rffrcts on badger numbers. 'I'hese are discussed in relation to potential changes in the Common Agricultural Policy. T h e effects of an expansion of forestry and the spread of urban areas on badger numbers are also estimated.

Badger Meles meles sett site selection in low density Mediterranean areas of central Spain

“…Higher elevation habitats (pine forest with scrub highland) were not as readily selected as the dehesas. Pine forests are poor habitat for badgers (but see Cresswell et al 1989, O'Corry-Crowe et al 1993) because of their poor cover and low supply of trophic resources (Neal 1986). However, pine forests at lower altitudes appear to provide good conditions for badgers, because these have both well wooded and rocky shelter areas.…”

“…In addition, human settlements were concentrated in the "a priori" optimal habitats for badgers (800-1200 m altitude). Conversely, game areas were avoided and it is possible that badgers were influenced by human persecution (see Cresswell et al 1989, Reason et al 1993, especially in low mountain areas. In summary, badger rarity in our study area appears to be attributed to the overall low quality of the environment (70 % of these mountains were xeric holm oak forests and associated shrub) and the increase of human settlements in the Sierra de Guadarrama will probably affect badger populations through habitar loss and direct persecution.…”

“…The survey consisted of a search for badger setts, using a procedure similar to other studies (Thornton 1988, Cresswell et al 1989, O'Corry-Crowe et al 1993. Sampling was carried out by four people with experience in locating and identifying of setts.…”

“…It has been well studied throughout Occidental Europe, especially in the United Kingdom and The Netherlands (Kruuk 1989). Information is available about its distribution and status (Wiertz and Vink 1986, Cresswell et al 1989, Griffiths and Thomas 1993, Reason et al 1993, Smal 1993; aspects related to behavioural plasticity in different environmental conditions (Kruuk 1989); diet (Kruuk 1989, Roper 1994; and sett distribution in relation to habitat characteristics (Zejda and Nesvadbova 1983, Thornton 1988, Skinner et al 1991a.…”

The occurrence of Mycobacterium bovis infection in cattle in and around an area subject to extensive badger (Meles meles) control

“…Up to the end of 1993, infected badgers have been found in 22 of the 61 counties of Great Britain [5], six more than in 1989 [6]. Population numbers have also been estimated, with about 25 % of the country's 250000 adult badgers living in South-West England, an area comprising the counties of Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire [7]. A positive correlation in the South-West region between the distribution of herds with evidence of M. bovis infection and badger sett density has already been demonstrated [8,9] and further studies suggest that the badger is an ideal maintenance host for M. bovis, whether populations were infected originally by tuberculous cattle or not [1,6].…”