In the UK we all recognise badgers as those short-legged mammals with distinctive black and white striped faces that forage around the countryside under cover of darkness. We may also associate them with childrens̓ literature, where they are often portrayed as wise, friendly old characters who give advice to their woodland friends. Interestingly though, the verb ‘to badgerʼ in the English language means to persistently annoy, pester or harass someone. And despite this apparent contradiction, it is actually true that, in the real world, these animals and humans have been ‘badgeringʼ each other for decades.

Badgers have often featured in UK news broadcasts over the years, usually for the wrong reasons. From the 1960s to the 1980s badgers were often blamed for spreading diseases, like rabies and bovine tuberculosis - which affects mainly cows and can harm humans. For this reason badgers became the victims of culls: thousands were exterminated in an attempt to keep them away from livestock and villages. Culls were largely ineffective as a means of preventing the spread of disease though, and a number of trials are currently underway to do so by immunising badgers instead of killing them. However, the combination of a larger badger population and ever- expanding urban areas means that these creatures are once again in the news for getting too close and personal; this time, however, the issue is living space.

A recent project, reported on the BBC TV show ť ḙṎẤǴẃỹ ǀ ẤǜḎ, highlighted the plight of neighbours who were too close for comfort. The neighbours in question were a school for young children and a local cete (group) of badgers. Managers at the Ursula Taylor Primary School in Clapham, south-west London had to act quickly when it came to light that the creatures had tunnelled so close to the foundations of their premises that the buildings could be in danger of collapsing. The school was used to the contents of its vegetable patch being gobbled up on a regular basis, but the badgers were now going too far - literally. The solution was for the badgers to move house; the school had a new sett (badgersʼ home) engineered and installed nearby. To do this they hired a specialist firm, who constructed a subterranean living space that replicated those built by badgers themselves. The badgers had to be persuaded to move in but, enticed by a few bags of peanuts, no eviction was necessary and they now live happily in their new sett at a safe distance from the school.

With increasing public awareness of animal rights and legislation to protect our natural surroundings, a spirit of cooperation between humans and animals seems to have evolved. Badgers have now been a protected species in the UK since the Protection of Badgers Act was passed in 1992; furthermore, rules have been introduced since then requiring various licences and permissions for any activity likely to interfere with a badger cete. The species has also been aided by more thorough police investigation and prosecution of people involved in animal crime, e.g. badger-baiting (an illegal blood sport in which badgers are savaged by dogs). It seems that much is being done to rectify the wrongs done to badgers in the past.

It may be unrealistic to believe that the case of the thoughtful primary school from Clapham will become the norm; inevitably those neighbourly feelings will not exist everywhere and some people simply wonʼt have the inclination, or indeed the funds, to offer badgers the same level of hospitality. But if we can avoid these situations arising in the first place by spotting potential

Questions 1 – 7 Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?

For each statement, select: TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

1. The word ‘badgerʼ has more than one

meaning.

2. Badgers are the most common source of disease amongst farm animals.

3. The badgersʼ original home in Clapham was

larger than its replacement.

4. The police no longer take crimes like

badger-baiting seriously.

5. The need to protect badgers is now universally recognised by the public.

6. We already know a great deal about the

lives of badgers.

7. New technology may help us improve our

relations with badgers.

Questions 8 – 13 For questions 8-13 choose one answer only.

8. Badgers and humans are in competition over…

woodland areas.

man-made tunnels.

places to live.

food.

9. In paragraph 3, gobbled up means…

eaten.

disturbed.

trampled on.

damaged.

10. In paragraph 3, those refers to…

specialist firms.

buildings.

badgers.

living spaces.

11. Since 1992 there has been a greater effort to…

keep badgers safe.

remove badgers from certain areas.

relocate more badgers.

research badgers' behaviour.

12. In paragraph 5, the same level of

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issues early, they will not have to. In order for this to happen though, we need to understand more about badgers and what goes on beneath our feet.

One person determined to find out is Mike Noonan, a zoologist at Oxford University. Mike is currently involved in research into the social behaviour of badgers; in particular, he wants to reveal more about the underground movements within the sett. Badgers spend more than half their lives underground, but what they are actually doing there is not very well understood. However, recent technological advancements have made the tracking of badgers within the sett possible, and in combination with traditional techniques, these new methods are shedding light on their hitherto mysterious social lives. Once we have more information about why our lovable friends tunnel in the ways they do, humans and badgers will hopefully be able to get along with as little ‘badgeringʼ as possible.

hospitality refers to…

building homes for badgers.

providing food for badgers.

protecting badgers from criminals.

spending money on research.

13. In paragraph 6, shedding light on means…

hiding.

increasing.

discovering.

combining.

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