Badger Sett Survey and Monitoring

The badger lives an underground home called a sett, which will typically be towards the centre of their territory or home range. Where the sett is close to or in a proposed development footprint it is important to identify the sett and monitor it for signs of activity. Badger surveys can be carried out throughout the year, although badger activity is reduced over the winter.

Where badgers are found to be present, Ellendale Environmental are able to provide details of the survey findings and advise our clients on a best practice approach including detailed mitigation and licencing where required.

Badgers and their setts are protected under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. Under this Act it is illegal to destroy, damage or obstruct access to a sett or disturb a badger while it is using its sett. A sett is defined, under the Act, as any structure or place showing signs of current or recent occupation by a badger. Licences are required for works that will disturb badgers while in a badger sett.

A badger survey involves recording signs of badger activity including; badger paths, footprints, latrines, badger hairs, scratching posts, bedding and badger setts. Monitoring is undertaken by placing sticks at the entrance of holes, sticky tape to 'catch' any hairs of mammals passing through the hole and video surveillance equipment / camera traps.

This survey methodology is suitable for supporting planning applications.