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Spring 2023 newsletter

At long last we’re having a break from the rain and spring is in full swing.

At this time of year badger cubs are around 3-4 months old and come out of the sett to explore their new world.

Lots of us are lucky enough to have badgers close to your homes. These two Newport badgers have been busy in the last month. One was more keen on the idea of messing around than the other…

Malcolm’s reserve update

Unfortunately our reserve badgers have not been very active as far as being able to watch them is concerned - only showing up in one or twos. This could be due to the amount of rain we have had through the winter and into the spring. The mild winter may well have suited the badgers due to a good and steady supply of worms. Although they still come to enjoy the peanuts, worms are better!! 

At least a number of my favourite badgers are still around: Smudge, Little Devil and Midget. It is always nice to see that the one's we’ve got to know are still with us. Being out of touch with them through the winter is an anxious time.

One sad thing: a badger has been killed on the road, possibly one of last year’s cubs. But there is hope! On one of our installed cameras, a lactating badger was spotted. So there will be cubs - we hope.

There are many people wanting to see our animals so I just hope they will perform. 🦡 🦡🦡

You can find out more about visiting the reserve on our website.

I would like to mention the great work done by Sheila Phillips, Charis White and Mark Davies in increasing the bio diversity in the wood by encouraging wild flowers and making water available for the badgers and other wildlife.

Also the nest boxes made by Garry Gunter have have been used - great news.

The two memorial trees in memory of Rowena Jones and Nova Barrowshave been planted. The hard work of digging the holes was done by Sheila - “I am past it now”! The cost of the trees was donated by Mark Davies and myself.

Aiming for a full sett

The Group’s record of badger setts across Gwent continues to develop. We record the details of, and visit, setts you tell us about. We also proactively look for setts in our spare time to build our knowledge.  

It’s really important we have sett records so that we can monitor badger welfare, investigate incidents and help protect badgers from harm.

It’s easy to tell us about a sett location on your phone. Next time your out on a walk and you spot a sett, try it!

Forestry work affecting badgers

Lots of us will have seen forestry works going on across Gwent where Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is cutting down diseased trees, or commercial woodland.

Sometimes the work happens very close to badger setts. We were aware of a case like this recently and, because we had concerns, contacted NRW.  

We met with NRW’s conservation officer and discussed how badgers can be protected during these works. We hope to continue sharing information and building on that relationship for the benefit of badgers.

You can contact us via our website if you are worried about badgers’ welfare.

Road traffic fatalities

Sadly, we have had several reports of badger road fatalities. There can be hotspots where this happens a lot. Badgers tend to use the same paths, and of course, we’re here long before humans built busy roads.

If you see a badger fatality, do report it to the Badger Trust who will keep a national record as well as passing it on to us for investigation.

As sad as it is to see, we don’t attempt to move dead badgers from busy roads due to risk - generally, the council will move them. 🥲

How we respond to incidents

When an incident is reported to us - maybe a road traffic fatality or unusual activity - we always visit the site.  We search for setts, looking for signs of activity like freshly dug earth. We’ll set up cameras if we need to monitor the sett.  

Very recently we responded to a report of two badgers killed by traffic on a busy stretch of road. Our aim was to find out if there are orphaned cubs - if so, we’ll step in and help them.

We’ll update you with developments on this site.

Chair’s report

“I’m really pleased to be able to inform our members of the work that the GBG undertakes.

We had a wonderful Christmas get together for GBG members last December. The buffet was second to none and we had a very interesting presentation from Pauline Kidner of Secret World Wildlife Rescue in Somerset - a rescue service that cares for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. They rehabilitate the animals in their care and return them to the wild wherever possible. 

Pauline’s talk was informative and revealing. She took lots of questions by a rapt audience.

For those members who couldn’t make our Christmas get together last year, we will be planning another one this year, so make sure you don’t miss out.

We continue to carry out work and activities that promotes the welfare of badgers. We have responded to several calls that may indicate a badger sett has been disturbed. In these cases we will go and visit the sett and undertake an assessment of its security. If necessary, we implement various monitoring measures to ensure the protection of the sett.

We are also developing our database of badger setts within the Gwent area. This involves a lot of field and wood surveying. This is an important part of the work that we undertake.

Another important aspect of our work is fundraising as this helps us purchase the equipment we need for rescuing of badgers. It also covers costs for veterinary bills that are incurred and attendance at various shows around Gwent. The Group is looking at other avenues to raise funds, including selling merchandise through our site. We will keep you informed of any developments.

We have also liaised and negotiated with badger groups in the neighbouring areas such as Gloucester. Recently, the badger group in Gloucester received a call about a badger at Riskin, Chepstow. We, and the Gloucester group worked together to provide an immediate response. This ensured the protection and safety of the badger.

I would like to say a big thank you to all the GBG committee for their dedication and commitment to the group.  I would also like to say a big thank you to all the members of the GBG. With your continuous support and backing, we are able to carry out our mission of protecting and helping badgers.”

Could you volunteer some time?

We are always looking for more people who could help the group.    

Next year will be the group’s 50th year, so it could be an exciting one!

If you think you could help us, we’d love to hear from you.  Email: gwentbadgergroup@aol.com  🦡🦡