Badgers are legally protected wildlife. Understanding behaviour, sett activity and the law is essential before any management work.
The European badger (Meles meles) is the UK's only native badger species. Recognisable by their iconic black-and-white striped faces, badgers are nocturnal mammals living in complex underground tunnel systems called setts.
While they play a vital role in ecosystems, badgers can cause real disruption in residential and agricultural areas - damaging gardens, structures and delaying construction projects because of their strict legal protection.
Badger setts are intricate networks of tunnels, sometimes occupied for over a century. Badgers are social animals, living in family groups (clans), and maintain multiple setts across their territories.
Due to the permanent nature of setts, any activity around them must be carefully managed within the law. Disturbing or blocking a sett without a licence is a criminal offence.
Badgers and their setts are protected by the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. It is a criminal offence to interfere with, damage or block access to a sett without a licence from Natural England or the relevant authority.
All surveys, fencing, closures and mitigation work must be carried out by properly trained and licensed professionals. In most cases, sett closure can only take place at specific times of year and must follow a strict approval process. Our licensed team guides you through every step to keep your project on track without breaching wildlife law.
Speak to one of our RSPH (BPCA) Level 2 Certified Techs today for free, no-obligation advice.
