Badger Survey

We employ a wide range of survey techniques including:

• Initial site appraisal using desk study information;
• Site surveys for the presence of badgers, including assessment of setts;
• Bait-marking for assessing the extent of different territories within a Site and adjacent areas.

Consultancy Services

Our consultancy services include:

• Desk-based studies and consultation;
• Advice on legal protection and licensing;
• Stakeholder liaison and negotiation;
• Input to early design of schemes to include avoidance or mitigation measures to reduce or avoid impacts to badgers;
• Preparation of mitigation measures for badgers such as sett closures, and advice on the creation of replacement setts;
• Preparation of licence applications and method statements;
• Habitat enhancement and management plans for both development and conservation-led projects.

Where impacts cannot be avoided and sett closures or disturbance licences are required, we have a proven track record in securing licences and we are experienced in the preparation and implementation of mitigation strategies.

Our badger mitigation capability includes:

• Supervision of exclusion equipment installation, such as one-way gates and netting;
• On site guidance for the creation of artificial setts;
• Monitoring of artificial setts to identify when they are found and used by badgers;
• Supervised excavation of setts after exclusion works;
• Supervised excavation of live-setts where exclusion could not be implemented or was disproportionate to the level of likely impacts.

Our ecologists have extensive experience of working with badgers under licence. They have been involved in sett exclusion and closures for development purposes, including where the construction of new setts was required, preparing licences for disturbance of live setts during development work, and the exclusion and closure of badger setts where these were causing damage to historic settings (such as botanic gardens and historic graveyards). We are also able to draw on a network of sub-contractors which allows us to complete surveys and mitigation work efficiently throughout the UK.

Further Services