Badger Survey of England and Wales
Defra (as part of the England and Wales national research activities) has commissioned The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) to undertake a Badger Sett Survey. Badgers, like many of our wild animal species, are of interest for a range of reasons, and the question of how many badgers there are in England and Wales is one that is regularly asked in many contexts. This survey is the third in a series of an ongoing wildlife monitoring scheme. The first survey was carried out between 1985 and 1987 and the second between 1994 and 1997 with a view to answering the most common questions posed about badgers: (i) has the badger population increased in numbers since the last survey?, and (ii) has the distribution of badgers changed since the last survey, i.e. are badgers now present in areas they weren't found in previously?
The aim of this survey is to estimate how many badger family groups there are in England and Wales. As badgers are nocturnal and difficult to count, a common method of estimating the size of the badger population is by surveying for their setts. There tends to be one distinct main sett in each territory, and these main setts can be used to indicate the presence of a badger social group. This survey will visit the same areas used in both the 1980s and 1990s surveys and any badger setts found in these areas will be recorded. This will enable us not only to estimate the current size and distribution of the badger population, but also investigate any changes that have occurred.
Any information on setts found in this area will be confidential, and subject to normal data protection rules.
If you have any questions or would like more information on the Badger Sett Survey, please contact us on 01453 861400 or email on