A RELEASE BACK TO FREEDOM, FOR ONE LUCKY BADGER! – by Diane
Lancashire Badger Group were very pleased to help the RSPCA to release a young female badger recently, that had spent two months at the RSPCA wildlife hospital at Stapely Grange in Cheshire.
The young sow had been caught in a snare and had injuries to her head. A member of the public found her struggling and reported it to the RSPCA. She was rescued in his rucksack (don’t try that at home) and handed over to the local RSPCA Inspector.
Fortunately, she made a full recovery from the injuries and trauma.
The RSPCA contacted us for advice before releasing her back into her home territory and two of us went along to help out.
After checking that the area where she was found was safe for release, we set off at dusk. She sensed that she was home very quickly and started to jump about in the cage excitedly, almost biting through the wire! It must have been quite a comical sight, two RSPCA inspectors, Jo and myself, negotiating stiles, gates and footbridges with a lively brock in transit!
It was all worth it though, to see her scamper back home to her family, bet she had a right tale to tell them!
She was one of the lucky ones. Badgers along with other wildlife and pets, that are caught in these cruel and indiscriminate snares, often go unrescued and suffer long agonising deaths.
Snares are still legal unless set incorrectly. Please support the National Anti Snaring Campaign in their bid to ban them completely.
For information on what is legal please check here (please be aware there are distressing images).
A snare is not legal if it is;
- not free running
- set on a badger path or close to a badger sett
- not anchored securely (but attached to a drag pole or log)
- set in a way that is likely to cause “bodily injury to any wild mammal”
- not checked within 24 hours.
If you find a live animal in a snare please call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 immediately. You may also call our emergency line (for badgers) if in Lancashire 08448 707908 or the Badger Trust for information on your local group 020 7228 6444.
Give as much detail as you can on location and if possible, arrange to meet with whoever attends so that you can guide them directly to the injured animal.
Please do not attempt to release the animal yourself. It may injure you, or if it escapes with the snare attached it will not be possible to give it medical care. Instead cover it with a coat or blanket and watch from a distance so not to add to its distress.
It may take several days for the full injuries to become apparent so a badger should always be taken to a vet and kept under observation for that period.