The JPR team has been busy working at a Primary school in Somerset rehoming badgers that had taken up residence underneath some temporary cabins, benefitting from ‘free school meals’ and complicating renovation works.
The work started with the creation of an artificial sett, with tunnels and nesting chambers to give badgers a new home when the cabins are moved. In consultation with the school and ecologists from Tyler Grange, the location for a new artificial sett was identified and construction commenced. Once complete, the next challenge was how to encourage the badgers to move into their new digs.
Timing was crucial as the exclusion measures had to coincide with the renovation programme at the school, while also fitting within the ecological window of July to November for badger mitigation works. The school holidays were targeted for the next phase as it offered a window of opportunity for the installation of one-way gates and associated netting without restricting the outside space for the children.
With the sett entrances under the school buildings, the solution had to humanely force the migration to the new sett without causing undue stress to the animals. This was accomplished with the use of one-way gates combined with chainlink netting to the base of the cabins, which allowed the badgers out, but crucially not back in. An irresistible trail of peanuts was used to encourage the badgers from the school to the new sett, where some fresh hay awaited them in the purpose built new home. The closure of the setts under the cabins is monitored for 21 days with daily visits by an ecologist and trail cameras capturing the badgers movements.
Completion of the project will see the removal of the exclusion materials, lifting of the temporary cabins and the area returned to the school. Meanwhile the badgers have their new home nearby and are all set for the winter.