Recently I've been in touch with a group in the West Country called Secret World Wildlife Rescue. Amongst other things they care for orphaned badgers. The group forms the cubs into 'families' for release back into the wild. They are healthy when released, in particular they have been tested clear for TB.
http://www.secretworld.org
One of the difficulties is that there aren't enough sites for all the badgers that need to be re-released. Another is the threat of persecution from gangs who engage in illegal activities such as baiting. The proximity of known gangs might render a site unsuitable.
I contacted Secret World because I have access to land which may be suitable. The site consists of about 25 acres of woodland with a small fishing pond. The exact location cannot be made public because of the danger of persecution but I can say that it's east of the M1 and south of the Humber. Enquiries to assess the risks are ongoing.
As I understand it the routine for release of the cubs starts in early September with release into a relatively small (about 25 metres square) fenced enclosure containing an artificial sett. They are fed once per day for at least two weeks and then over about the next four to six weeks gradually weaned off the daily feed until they are able to feed themselves.
At this stage I am asking if we might have a large enough number of interested parties so that, for a period of about two months from early September to early November, at least one or two of those people can visit the site each day to check on the cubs and feed them. If it is possible to maintain a 24/7 presence on the site for some or even all of the period then so much the better. There will be no problem with camping. Fishing would be possible and so would shooting with suitable safeguards. Ground fires are not permitted because of the danger of setting fire to the ground in that part of the world, but well-controlled fire pits are acceptable.
There is mains water available on the site but no other facilities. The nearest village is about a mile from the site. Access from the nearest road is along about half a mile of green lane. The site is gated, and vehicles which can reach it can park out of sight within it.
To recap:
1. This is all still in the air and likely to remain so for at least some weeks.
2. The commitment can be as little as:
a. Go to the site, just once, on a date of your choosing in late summer to autumn 2012.
b. Throw some peanuts around.
c. Make a telephone call if there's a badger cub stuck in the fence. (It's an electric fence, similar to those used for livestock.)
d. Leave when you think you've seen enough of the badgers.
3. The location of the site must be kept secret.
If you're interested, please post a message in the thread. Please don't PM me at this stage as my inbox would probably fill up too quickly for me to cope with it.
19 May 2012 edit:
Public transport:
There is at least one bus service to the village nearby. Buses on that route are approximately hourly from about 7am to about 6:30pm except Sundays and bank holidays. There are buses direct to several major towns within a 25 mile radius of the site and there are also connecting services. In addition there are good rail services at the nearest town, a little over three miles from the site.
http://www.secretworld.org
One of the difficulties is that there aren't enough sites for all the badgers that need to be re-released. Another is the threat of persecution from gangs who engage in illegal activities such as baiting. The proximity of known gangs might render a site unsuitable.
I contacted Secret World because I have access to land which may be suitable. The site consists of about 25 acres of woodland with a small fishing pond. The exact location cannot be made public because of the danger of persecution but I can say that it's east of the M1 and south of the Humber. Enquiries to assess the risks are ongoing.
As I understand it the routine for release of the cubs starts in early September with release into a relatively small (about 25 metres square) fenced enclosure containing an artificial sett. They are fed once per day for at least two weeks and then over about the next four to six weeks gradually weaned off the daily feed until they are able to feed themselves.
At this stage I am asking if we might have a large enough number of interested parties so that, for a period of about two months from early September to early November, at least one or two of those people can visit the site each day to check on the cubs and feed them. If it is possible to maintain a 24/7 presence on the site for some or even all of the period then so much the better. There will be no problem with camping. Fishing would be possible and so would shooting with suitable safeguards. Ground fires are not permitted because of the danger of setting fire to the ground in that part of the world, but well-controlled fire pits are acceptable.
There is mains water available on the site but no other facilities. The nearest village is about a mile from the site. Access from the nearest road is along about half a mile of green lane. The site is gated, and vehicles which can reach it can park out of sight within it.
To recap:
1. This is all still in the air and likely to remain so for at least some weeks.
2. The commitment can be as little as:
a. Go to the site, just once, on a date of your choosing in late summer to autumn 2012.
b. Throw some peanuts around.
c. Make a telephone call if there's a badger cub stuck in the fence. (It's an electric fence, similar to those used for livestock.)
d. Leave when you think you've seen enough of the badgers.
3. The location of the site must be kept secret.
If you're interested, please post a message in the thread. Please don't PM me at this stage as my inbox would probably fill up too quickly for me to cope with it.
19 May 2012 edit:
Public transport:
There is at least one bus service to the village nearby. Buses on that route are approximately hourly from about 7am to about 6:30pm except Sundays and bank holidays. There are buses direct to several major towns within a 25 mile radius of the site and there are also connecting services. In addition there are good rail services at the nearest town, a little over three miles from the site.
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