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Why are badgers
protected?
Badgers and their setts are
legally protected from intentional cruelty, such as badger-baiting, and
from the results of lawful human activities, such as building
developments. However, it is a sad fact that many thousands of badgers are
still killed illegally each year, and the incidents appear to be
increasing. Also, due to the nature of the crimes, there are relatively
few successful prosecutions.
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Threats to badgers
Badgers in the UK are
threatened by both legal and illegal activities.
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Legal activities,
subject to compliance with conditions in the 1992 Act, include:
- road and housing
development
- forestry and
agricultural operations
- badger culling by the
Ministry of Agriculture in relation to bovine TB in cattle
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Illegal threats to
badgers include:
- badger-digging and
baiting
- snaring
- poisoning (including the
misuse of pesticides)
- lamping
- sett interference
- illegal activities by
some fox hunts
- sett-stopping by fox
hunts
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Relevant legislation
The main legislation
protecting badgers is the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.
Under the 1992 Act it
is an offence to:
- wilfully kill, injure,
take or attempt to kill, injure or take a badger
- possess a dead badger or
any part of a badger
- cruelly ill-treat a
badger
- use badger tongs in the
course of killing, taking or attempting to kill a badger
- dig for a badger
- sell or offer for sale
or control any live badger
- mark, tag or ring a
badger
interfere with a badger
sett by:
- damaging a sett or any
part thereof
- destroying a sett
- obstructing access to
a sett
- causing a dog to enter
a sett
- disturbing a badger
while occupying a sett
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| The Act defines a badger
sett as: "any structure or place which displays signs indicating
current use by a badger".
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| Further advice and
information
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For advice and
information on all badger-related issues, contact the Badger Trust: |
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| Badger Trust |
Tel: 08458 287878 |
| P.O. Box 708 |
Fax: 02380 233896 |
| East Grinstead |
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| RH19 2WN |
www.badger.org.uk |
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