While driving home last night I came across what looked like a juvenile badger on the side of the road. Luckily I saw it, because it took its time to have a look at me before wandering off into the bushes! I always enjoy seeing badgers in the wild, I just hope that little one learns to stay off the road.
Does anyone else have any stories about badgers in the wild?
I have a couple of setts in my local bit of woodland and see the badgers frequently. I always know when they're about at night when walking my dog because her tail goes up and she gets all alert, in fact the first time I saw a badger in the wood was when she was a pup and she met one first thing in the morning. I don't know who was more surprised out of the three of us, because the first thing I saw was this grey object hurtling towards me, followed by the dog. At the last moment the badger saw me and changed direction, otherwise we would have collided.
I consider it a priviledge to get so close to these animals and never tire of watching them.
One of the best sites I've ever been to for badgers is the Youth Hostel in Patterdale in the Lake District. Just below the hostel is a sett and we have stood on a summer evening and watched them from less that 20 metres, absolutely wonderful!
One of the best sites I've ever been to for badgers is the Youth Hostel in Patterdale in the Lake District. Just below the hostel is a sett and we have stood on a summer evening and watched them from less that 20 metres, absolutely wonderful!
That sounds brilliant! I have never more than glimpsed a badger that close before, before they rush off into the undergrowth. That must have been quite a shock to have a badger running towards you! Luckily the badger saw you, a collision could have been painful.
I have not had much contact with badgers although I do know that they live around our area because I have had a few short sightings of them.
i have seen an albino badger before, next day it was in our local newspaper
I have seen an albino badger before, next day it was in our local newspaper
We have a thread on something along that line...I don't think we ever resolved the question.
http://www.wildlifeuk.net/badger-mutation-t-195.html
Kingfisher
I think you will find the Badger is an erythristic Badger. I am lucky enough to photographing a Badger Sett which has 3 Erythristic Badgers in residence.have attached 2 photos
I have seen many badgers in the wild & often visit my friend's ancient sets where over the years I have collected old badger skulls (they're on my shelf in my bedroom - don't worry, I'm not insane lol)
I had an amazing sighting in my local woods one day in broad daylight, I was walking down alongside the opening of the woods, minding my own business, when I suddenly heard all of this rustling & sneezing! It was a badger! He came right up close & drank from the stream, I was literally metres from him & he didn't even see me! I must have been down wind . . . Sometimes remembering back at that experience, I ask myself, was I dreaming? lol
Great photos barry by the way, you're so lucky to be able to get so close to photograph, they must have accepted you into their family!
Luckier than you think as well as creeping about in the woods at night to potograph badgers.I can see them in my Garden every night,the endless supply of peanuts seems to attrct them.I am sure your loacal widlife trust organises Badger watching trips.This is a good time of year as it gets dark quite early and the weather is still mild.
Barry
I think you will find the Badger is an erythristic Badger. I am lucky enough to photographing a Badger Sett which has 3 Erythristic Badgers in residence.have attached 2 photos
Thank you for those photos, it does indeed seem to indicate that the badgers are erythristic.
Kingfisher
Great photos thanks for sharing!
Skylark, that is an amazing experience, what kind of time was it? It's very unusual to see a badger at all in daylight let alone one that comes so close.
Last week I was privileged to photograph the release of a badger back into the wild. The badger had been in a coma for 3 days after being injured in a road accident. South Essex Wildlife Hospital nursed it back to health. They are a volunteer charity relying on public donations for support.
The chairman of the local badger protection group asked me to photograph the release. We took Brock back to the location of the accident for release. Once clear of the travel cage, Brock seemed to recognise he was back home and ambled away without a care.I have attached photos of release.
The hospital has recently been granted planning consent to build a purpose built unit including education facilities. They need to raise a considerable amount of money to realise this project.Below is a plug for the Hospital.
Barry
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attachment=220][
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Contact Name:
Miss Sue Schwar
Contact Address: P.O. Box 8, Grays, Essex RM17 5FF.
Title: South Essex Wildlife Hospital
Telephone: 01375 893893
Charges: £10 per year, if quarterly newsletter requested
Description: Aims: Rescue and rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife. Also to provide advice or assistance to public and other organisations, e.g. Police, Council, Schools, etc. Wildlife Education, Work Experience assignments
Membership open to: Members join voluntarily, open to all
What a nice ending to your story, barry3. Good action photo of Brock as he leaves his travel cage, too.
Kingfisher
I have come accross this site while trying too look up info on albino badgers. We have a sett at the end of our garden and badgers come and eat seeds we put out for the birds. Some even come over while we are still putting food out.
Recently there has been a very pale creamy coloured badger with pale biscuity stripes. I have taken some photos but have either been too far away or on the otherside of glass with a not brilliant camera. It's good to know i'm not making it up and others have seen these pale badgers too!
Hi
Apparently there have been badgers where I live, but it is very rare to see them now days as their sets are destroyed. I got a video from a charity shop called 'Brockworth' which explained that generations of hundreds of years of badgers use the same set. And when developers come in and build, they can't build on the set but they just build around it so the badgers have no where to forage and often rely on nice people that feed them. Paths that badgers follow every night may aso have been followed for hundreds of years, and that is why they break down peoples fences, so they can follow their traditional routes.
It seems like badgers are very stuck in their ways!
When I used to live in Somerset, I used to have to cycle along dark roads by myself to visit my friend. One day I nearly crashed into a badger, and I dont know who was more surprised. I remember also being in a car with my dad who accidently knocked a badger, but the badger just scampered off. I hope he was unharmed. I saw a run over badger in Shepton Mallet in the (mallish) car park of Blackthorn cider. How a badger got run over in a car park I do not know as in a car park you should be doing a speed slow enough to stop. It made me think that whoever did it wanteed to kill it. Poor thing. Put me off blackthorn cider though.
Hi Laura, welcome to the forums! Thanks for posting the pictures too. The first one is a bit blurry but you can still clearly see the colours which is the main thing.
Rowena, it is terrible to hear that badgers who have been living there for centuries are slowly being forced out. There is no point not allowing builders to build on sets if they can take away all th badgers environment anyway.