A sett that has been dug open has a particular look to it. Fresh spoil heaps, an entrance far wider than any badger would dig, boot prints in the mud and perhaps a spade left behind in the rush. If you have found something like that, or seen people with lamps and terriers on a quiet lane at two in the morning, you may be looking at wildlife crime.

Badger persecution has not gone away. The people who do it depend on nobody noticing, or on nobody knowing who to tell. Doing both of those things well is one of the most useful things an ordinary member of the public can do for badgers. You do not need to be an expert, and you do not need to be certain. You only need to report what you have seen, as clearly and quickly as you can.

What counts as badger persecution

Badgers and their setts are protected by law throughout the UK. The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 makes it an offence to kill, injure or take a badger, to treat one cruelly, to dig for a badger, or to damage, destroy or obstruct a sett. Similar protection exists in Northern Ireland under wildlife legislation. In practice, several distinct offences fall under the same heading:

  • Badger baiting: sending dogs into a sett, then digging the badger out so it can be fought above ground.
  • Digging: excavating a sett to take badgers, often for baiting.
  • Blocking: stopping up sett entrances with soil, stones or rubble, which can trap badgers inside.
  • Poisoning: leaving laced baits near setts. Strychnine, once used for this, is banned in the UK, but other substances turn up.
  • Snaring and lamping: setting snares where badgers run, or using lamps and dogs at night to find them.

It is an offence to kill, injure or take a badger, to treat one cruelly, to dig for a badger, or to damage or obstruct a sett. You do not have to decide whether what you have seen is definitely a crime. Report it, describe it plainly and let the police work out where it sits in law. If you are the landowner, or a case affects you personally, take advice from a solicitor or a specialist wildlife crime officer rather than relying on general guidance.

If in doubt, report it. A report that turns out to be nothing is far better than a persecution that goes unnoticed.

Signs of persecution to look for

At the sett

  • Entrances dug out recently, with loose soil, fresh spoil heaps or a hole much larger than a badger would use. A normal sett entrance is usually about the size of a dinner plate; a dug-out hole may be big enough to climb into.
  • Entrances blocked from the outside with soil, stones, branches or rubble.
  • Kit left behind: spades, shovels, crowbars, nets, hessian sacks, terrier locator collars, lamps or batteries.
  • Dog paw prints in soft ground, blood on leaves or fencing, and tufts of badger hair.
  • Trampled vegetation, tyre tracks in gateways and litter such as gloves or drink cans, all of which can carry fingerprints or DNA.
  • Several entrances freshly dug at once, or a sett that has been partly collapsed or excavated from above.

At odd hours

  • Vehicles at field gates or in lay-bys late at night, engines running, lights off, or arriving and leaving in convoy.
  • Lamps being swept across fields or woodland after dark.
  • People moving between setts with terriers, spades and collars.
  • Dogs baying underground, or the sound of a badger screaming. It is a sound you do not forget. Do not go closer to investigate it.
  • Vehicles with no obvious reason to be there, especially 4x4s, vans or cars parked on verges near woodland.

Poisoning

Look for baits laid in a line or in small piles near sett entrances: eggs, chunks of meat, bread, dog food. Suspicious baits are sometimes drilled or split open. A dead badger with no visible injury, or several dead animals of different species in one place, is another warning sign. Never pick up a bait or a carcass, and keep children and dogs well away. Some poisons stay dangerous to people and pets for a long time.

What not to do

The instinct to intervene is understandable, but going further than you should can destroy the evidence and put you in danger. People involved in badger persecution are committing a violent crime, and some of them behave violently towards anyone who challenges them.

  • Do not approach or confront anyone. Keep your distance. People involved in badger persecution may be armed, may have dogs, and may react aggressively. Your safety matters more than a closer look.
  • Do not disturb the scene. Do not climb into a dug sett, move tools, cover holes, or walk over tracks and footprints. You could destroy fingerprints, footwear marks or DNA.
  • Do not pick up baits or carcasses. Poisoned baits can be dangerous to you, children and pets. Note the location from a safe distance and tell the police.
  • Do not post precise locations or live sightings on social media. Public posts can tip off offenders, disrupt an investigation, or encourage others to attend.
  • Do not investigate alone at night. If you can, stay in a locked vehicle at a safe distance and call the police. Do not follow vehicles or people.
  • Do not try to rescue a badger or handle dogs. An injured badger can bite, and dogs used for baiting can be dangerous. Call the relevant animal welfare charity or police for advice.

If you are with someone who wants to intervene, encourage them to move away and report instead. A clear report from a safe distance is worth more than a confrontation that ends in injury or a ruined case.

How to report badger persecution

Reporting is straightforward, but the quality of the details you give can make a real difference. If a crime is happening now, or someone is in danger, call 999. If it is not an emergency, use 101 or your local police force's online reporting form. Crimestoppers can be used anonymously on 0800 555 111. In Scotland, the Scottish SPCA can advise on injured wildlife, and in Northern Ireland the USPCA can help. The Badger Trust and local badger groups can also point you towards the right contact.

  1. Get to safety first. Move away from anyone involved. Do not let them see you taking details if that would put you at risk.
  2. Call the right number. Use 999 if the incident is in progress. Use 101 or online reporting if it is historical or non-urgent. Ask for the wildlife crime officer if your force has one.
  3. Give clear, factual details. Time, date, exact location, what you saw, how many people, descriptions of clothing, vehicles, registration numbers, dogs, and equipment. If you can, use a what3words location or a grid reference.
  4. Preserve evidence. Photographs and video taken from a safe distance can be useful. Keep the original files, do not edit them, and note the time they were taken. Do not touch anything at the scene.
  5. Record an incident number. Ask for a reference number and write down the name of the officer or call handler. Keep a note of what you reported and when.

If you find an injured badger

Do not attempt to handle it yourself unless you are trained and have the right equipment. Contact the RSPCA in England and Wales, the Scottish SPCA in Scotland, or the USPCA in Northern Ireland. A local vet may also advise. Keep dogs and children away, and do not crowd the animal. If the injury appears to be the result of a crime, tell the police as well as the welfare charity.

After you report: what to expect

Reporting a wildlife crime can feel frustrating if you do not see an immediate result. Police forces are busy, and wildlife crime is not always treated as a priority. That does not mean your report was wasted. Reports build intelligence, show patterns, and can support a future operation or prosecution.

  • An officer may contact you for a statement. Be honest about what you saw and what you did not see.
  • Forensic teams may attend if there is a realistic chance of evidence. Do not return to the scene and do not tidy it up.
  • You may be asked to keep the information confidential. Sharing it widely can harm the case.
  • If you hear nothing, follow up politely after a week or two with your incident number. Ask whether it has been passed to a wildlife crime officer.
  • If the police take no action, you can still report the same information to Crimestoppers or a specialist wildlife group. Do not take matters into your own hands.

Keep your own notes in a safe place. Dates, times, vehicle details and photographs can become important months later, especially if a pattern of persecution is being investigated across several setts or several counties.

Prevention and community vigilance

Badger persecution thrives in quiet places where nobody asks questions. A little community vigilance can make those places much harder to use.

  • Get to know your local badger setts and check them from a distance every few weeks. Early reporting of fresh damage is more useful than a report months later.
  • Encourage landowners and farmers to record vehicle numbers and report suspicious activity. A polite conversation can make a rural community harder to target.
  • Keep dogs under control near setts, especially at dawn and dusk. Loose dogs can disturb badgers and may be mistaken for baiting dogs.
  • Support local badger groups and wildlife crime charities. They often have trained volunteers who can advise on reporting and sett monitoring.
  • Never share the exact location of a sett publicly. Badger persecution depends on finding setts quietly; do not make that easier.

You do not have to be a witness to a crime in progress to help. Noticing a blocked entrance, a fresh spoil heap or a suspicious vehicle at the same time each week can be exactly the detail that joins the dots for investigators.

Photo: brisch27 / Pixabay