Caring for Badgers

We are extremely privileged to care for badgers in their hour of need. As the UK's largest land predators, they have big personalities and big appetites and take a lot of looking after. Here are two stories from recent months - both remarkable tales of survival against the odds.

Earlier in the summer, Craven Badger Group called us late at night. They had been told that a badger was lying injured in the road near Harrogate. Two of their team were still up, so headed over despite the hour.

Becky

We arrived to find a tiny, lactating, adult female badger who had been hit multiple times. Given the mechanism of injury and the fact she was not trying to escape, we feared the worst and thought the kindest thing would be to get her to the emergency vet to have her put to sleep. So, at some ungodly hour in the morning, we took her - Becky as she was known - to be examined. Remarkably, there were no obvious broken bones and nothing appeared life-threatening. Once we got her back to the Rescue and gave her the support she needed, this badger slept and slept, briefly woke up to eat, before sleeping some more. We sought advice from our dear friend and badger mentor Jean Thorpe MBE from Ryedale Rescue and Rehabilitation, and she recommended a quick release when the badger was ready. Becky was taken back to her territory by the heroic finders, with some of both Craven Wildlife Rescue and Craven Badger Group. A quiet, small older female, who had had cubs this year, she was such a gentle soul from rescue to release. To see her disappear back to her home ground was pretty special. Another absolute privilege.

When we met Edith, this wonderful creature was in a terrible state. She had been found collapsed and dehydrated with a large and infected territorial wound to her rear. We were unable to help when Craven Badger Group initially contacted us, as were snowed under ourselves, but the legends at Calderdale Badgers managed to get a team out. Edith

Edith

was very poorly, so she was taken to Ashlands Vets. Her prognosis was not great, but Sam Burnell stabilised her and managed to reverse her infection. Edith then came to us for her ongoing treatment and rehabilitation. We are thrilled to say that beautiful Edith was soon homeward bound, a second chance at the life she very nearly had cut short. It was an incredible multi-team effort, ending in one happy badger and several happy involved and invested rescuers.

Here is a short video of Edith's release....

If you would like to support the work we do with badgers, please consider donating here. We welcome all donations. Large or small, they all enable us to carry on our vital work.