Exclusions for resolving urban badger damage problems: outcomes and consequences

PeerJ

article

Alastair I. Ward¹  Jason K. Finney²  Sarah E. Beatham²  Richard J. Delahay²  Peter A. Robertson²  David P. Cowan² 

[1] School of Environmental Sciences, University of Hull;National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency;School of Biology, Newcastle University

关键词: Burrow;    Wildlife management;    Sett;    Human-wildlife conflict;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.2579

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Increasing urbanisation and growth of many wild animal populations can result in a greater frequency of human-wildlife conflicts. However, traditional lethal methods of wildlife control are becoming less favoured than non-lethal approaches, particularly when problems involve charismatic species in urban areas. Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) excavate subterranean burrow systems (setts), which can become large and complex. Larger setts within which breeding takes place and that are in constant use are known as main setts. Smaller, less frequently occupied setts may also exist within the social group’s range. When setts are excavated in urban environments they can undermine built structures and can limit or prevent safe use of the area by people. The most common approach to resolving these problems in the UK is to exclude badgers from the problem sett, but exclusions suffer a variable success rate. We studied 32 lawful cases of badger exclusions using one-way gates throughout England to evaluate conditions under which attempts to exclude badgers from their setts in urban environments were successful. We aimed to identify ways of modifying practices to improve the chances of success. Twenty of the 32 exclusion attempts were successful, but success was significantly less likely if a main sett was to be excluded in comparison with another type of sett and if vegetation was not completely removed from the sett surface prior to exclusion attempts. We recommend that during exclusions all vegetation is removed from the site, regardless of what type of sett is involved, and that successful exclusion of badgers from a main sett might require substantially more effort than other types of sett.

【 授权许可】

CC BY