25/6/2021

Badger predation – it’s not all black and white (Part 2)

Badger camera trap

Is culling badgers good for birds and hedgehogs?

By Dr. Jen Brewin, Science Writer

4 minute read

You are probably already aware of the programme of badger culling undertaken across England since 2013 for the purpose of reducing rates of tuberculosis in cattle. The cull was controversial because the prospect of killing wildlife to protect livestock was divisive.

However you view it, though, the cull went ahead, and offered an opportunity for scientists to study the effects of predation by badgers in a way that would not otherwise have been possible. As the cull progressed, scientists studied not only the effect on bovine TB, but also the knock-on impact for other species, including birds and hedgehogs.

The results of one study looking at the possible impact of the badger cull on bird populations were reported a scientific paper earlier this year. They didn’t show any strong, consistent effects but there were some indications of possible weaker effects that merit more investigation, for example on skylark and lapwing – interestingly, despite both being ground-nesting, these effects were in opposite directions, with skylarks seeming to benefit from fewer badgers and lapwing not. The paper is an interesting first look at possible effects from the information that is available so far but does not paint a clear picture of the effect of badgers on bird populations.

Scientists also examined whether evidence from the badger cull areas supported previous suggestions that badgers can also impact another much-loved but recently little-seen species – the hedgehog. Their protective spines are so effective that badgers are one of the only species that can tackle hedgehogs as a food source. The strong paws and claws of a badger allow them to flip a hedgehog onto its back, targeting the soft underside to kill and eat the animal.

Not only this, but as badgers and hedgehogs share some food resources – for example invertebrates such as earthworms – they compete for certain foods. Although badgers and hedgehogs are both native species that have coexisted for millennia, badger predation is one of the main causes of death for hedgehogs, and there is evidence that removing badgers can benefit them.

One study monitored hedgehogs between 2000 and 2005 and found that numbers more than doubled in areas where badgers were culled compared to where they were not. Interestingly, the study found their hedgehogs in “amenity grasslands” – parks, sports grounds and other urban green spaces – and sometimes in fields near to villages, rather than on farmland itself. Pastures were relatively devoid of the old farmers’ friend. Might this be because badgers avoid human disturbance and hedgehogs avoid badgers? Or perhaps modern farmland just no longer caters for the needs of hedgehogs, and gardens are a better bet.

These findings, supported by the reports of badger predation affecting ground-nesting waders and gamebirds which we discussed last week, suggest rising badger numbers may be bad news for some other species; but the consensus in the conservation world is that badger culling to protect hedgehogs is not a sensible approach. Of course, badger predation is far from the only threat to hedgehogs. Pesticides reduce their food supply, traffic threatens their safe passage, and a lack of diversity in the countryside has reduced their habitat.

Nor would such an approach be legal – although a licence for culling badgers may be issued to protect human property, it is not possible to apply for one for conservation, for example to protect nesting curlew. In an ideal world, this makes sense. A countryside with enough habitat and resources should provide adequately for badgers and a wide range of prey species to thrive. However, the reality is that most of our modern farmed environment does not offer that, and the impact we are having on our environment means that the species we share it with are struggling to coexist.

We should be wary of oversimplifying things in our desire to understand and help address complex problems though – for example, although badgers predate both hedgehogs and ground-nesting bird species, hedgehogs can also predate ground-nesting birds. The complicated web of connections in our natural world means it is often difficult to predict the whole range of outcomes from any intervention.

Which brings us to the Allerton Project again – the farm now provides better habitat and resources than there have been for 30 years. We have game cover crops, hedgerows, woodland, very healthy earthworm populations, agroforestry areas, and beetle banks. But although badger numbers are still on the up, hedgehogs are sadly a thing of the past.

Part 1 in this series of blogs can be found here.

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Comments

Badger predation

at 13:15 on 28/06/2021 by Richard Moynan

For years I have observed the amount of ground nesting Bumblebee nests that are dugout and destroyed by Badgers each summer during periods of hot dry weather when other food is less easily available. The problem seems to be at its peak from Mid June, before grain ears are sufficiently developed to be worth eating as an available alternative to earthworms. I have also observed that most predated game bird nests locally are Badger not Fox predated and I have even compelling evidence from a camera trap focussed on a Whitethroat's nest with nearly fledged young the camera was knocked over by a Badger and when recovered, the nest had been totally destroyed, sadly there was evidence of the badger by the camera but not the actual act of destruction. Badgers have always predated Bumblebee nests, when Bumblebees were plentiful it was of little consequence but now they are scarce their activity of systematically going round banks and tracks on hot summer evenings when the Bumblebees are fanning to ventilate and cool their nests, the Badgers have no problem to hear the buzzing and smell the sweet aroma being expelled in the night air. A few years ago I had a bit of a campaign and got coverage in Westcountry newspapers and Regional TV, with film and pictures of predated nests. I also contacted the Bumblebee Conservation Trust at Stirling. At first the said that Badgers were the primary predator of ground nesting Bumblebees; however after their clear statement which I quoted in print and TV,I believe the Badger Protection people got at them and issued a partial retraction of the statement saying of course there are other factors involved, which the Badger Protection people said I had misled the public. I also set up an email address to which people could send their experiences, I received over a hundred emails of evidence of Badger damage to nests from all over the Westcountry as well as a handful of an abusive and nastily threatening nature. I hope this is useful

Badger predation

at 7:09 on 27/06/2021 by WBW

No bad can come from removing numbers of Badgers from an already over population of these generalist predators. Ground nesting birds, Hares, and all manner of wildlife will begin to regain a foothold. Blanket protection of many predators, both aerial and mammalian has proven disastrous for some of our most sensitive species. Buzzards, Sparrowhawks, Badgers and increasingly Goshawks are taking their toll. No species should have blanket protection to the detriment of other wildlife. Poor decision making from city based law makers....

badger predation.

at 10:55 on 26/06/2021 by Roger Thomas Howell

additionally badgers predate bumble bee nests badly

Culling badgers

at 10:32 on 26/06/2021 by John Iddesleigh

As other people have already said. We have seen a increase in hares which I am very happy about. The law in the first place was wrong it should have just protected the sett not the badger.

Badger cull

at 15:37 on 25/06/2021 by Howard Edge

We are in our 3rd season of the badger cull. I am seeing more hares and leveretts We have had 3 pairs of lapwing on winter wheat this spring and I know at least one nest hatched but I think the four chicks perished due to agricultural activity but it is years since we have had lapwing hatch so there is hope. It doesn’t need a covey of professors and scientists to pass an opinion just ask true countrymen and women who observe and are out and about early in the morning.

Killing badgers

at 15:11 on 25/06/2021 by Graham Bickerdike

I have read nothing but good news in favor of killing off badgers, an increase in natural wild life so what are the authorities waiting for ??? The results have been spectacular for ground nesting birds, hedgehogs, hares, snakes.

badgers

at 14:29 on 25/06/2021 by john spearman

yes fewer badgers mean more hedgehogs and groundnesting birds because that is the badgers main food supply .like all conservationists we introduce maybe a species which they say was prevelant in olden time with say 12 and they flourish but then same conservationists say old they arent making a difference lrts have another 3 times as many which is too many altogether but they cannot be culled so keep multiplying and upset the balance of nature and become a menace as badgers have become in some parts of the country who the uneducated general population think are lovely cuddly things but couldnt be more wrong

Badger control/population-reduction.

at 11:37 on 25/06/2021 by Alec Swan

The problem that we face when promoting the reduction in badger numbers, and so to reduce the threat of BTb amongst our cattle, and also, to offer a degree of protection to those creatures which are preyed upon and where a disproportional threat is posed, is that we face the badger protection groups who promote the nonsense that those who would promote a degree of control are in reality, attempting extermination. Such hysteria, when it's being promoted by familiar TV Faces, is listened to and absorbed by those who have no real understanding of the realities. During the 1970s I worked as a Gamekeeper and on estates where there were badgers …….. we rubbed along together, I never set out to kill them, and it seemed that the population remained just about static. Then full protection was given a creature which simply didn't need protection ~ and just look at the mess that this has led us in to.

badgers

at 10:42 on 25/06/2021 by john maher

just read the article on badgers what a load of nonsense badgers will decimate ground nesting birds regardless of what speicies they are there needs to be a nationwide cull otherwise say goodbye to many iconic birds.

Culling

at 10:13 on 25/06/2021 by Nicholas Pitts

My farm has been part of a cull for the last four years, in the first year nearly a badger to every 10 acres was removed from the farm, I have no stock but and HLS so was joining the cull from the balance point of view. The results have been spectacular, we have not seen a hare, hedgehog or grass snake on the farm for at least 20 years. In the spring we counted 18 hares in one field alone, I have them eating clover on the lawn every night. We are regularly seeing grass snakes including young, hedgehogs are once again being killed on the nearby roads.Last year Skylarks had three broods. Bee nests are not being dug out every night. I love Badgers but everything has to be in balance, If the cull is stopped and they are allowed to breed without control, no natural predators, I am uncertain where the anti cullers imagine the end result is. I guess mine would rear 2/3 cubs a year for many years, I assume about the same life as a dog,eating at least half a pound of wildlife a night each. The odd one killed by vehicles but other than that continuing to breed.

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