Badger crime quiz
- Badger Trust Staff Team
- May 28, 2022
- 2 min read
How much do you know about crimes against badgers? Test yourself with the Badger Crime Quiz.
Badgers have a long history of cruelty and persecution in the UK spanning hundreds of years. To this day badgers remain one of the most persecuted of all species despite having one of the highest levels of protection in law.
We’re on a mission to #StopBadgerCrime and you can help!
Take the quiz to learn about crimes against badgers and discover how you can make a difference to this amazing native animal.
The Badger crime quiz
When you have read the question and had a think press on the arrow symbol to the left of the multiple choices to see the answer.
1) Which badger crime is most commonly reported to Badger Trust?
Sett interference
Badger baiting
Snaring
Shooting
The answer is 1. Sett interference
The badger crime most commonly reported to Badger Trust each year is sett interference, which covers any activity that disturbs a badger’s sett.
2) True or false? Sett interference is only a criminal act if it is intentional.
True
False
The answer is 2. False
Sett interference, whether accidental (‘negligent badger crime’) or intentional (‘malicious badger crime’) is classed as a criminal act against this protected native species.
3) Which of the following constitutes an illegal activity under the Protection of Badgers Act:
A dog entering and damaging a badger sett by accident whilst out walking off-lead
Digging into a badger sett for sport
Damaging a badger sett whilst land undergoes development
All of the above
The answer is 4. All of the above
All of these are examples of sett interference, whether accidental (‘negligent badger crime’) or intentional (‘malicious badger crime’).
4) When was the Protection of Badgers Act introduced, giving badgers and their setts special protection under the law?
1922 (100 years ago)
1972 (50 years ago)
1992 (30 years ago)
2012 (10 years ago)
The answer is 3. 1992 (30 years ago) Sadly, badgers are abused and tormented in an array of crimes, from sett interference, badger baiting, shooting, snaring and trapping, to poisoning, hunting and lamping. You can join our campaign, PBA30 Act for Badgers, asking for tougher sentencing to protect badgers.
5) What do the Three R's stand for in relation to wildlife crime?
Report, Review, Repeat
Recognise, Record, Report
Remember, Record, Report
Report, Refer, Review
The answer is 2. Recognise, Record, Report
Our short film, Stopping Badger Crime, aims to raise public awareness of crimes against badgers and encourage reporting.
Presented by naturalist and broadcaster Mike Dilger, the hard-hitting film reveals the different methods used to persecute badgers, how to recognise the signs, and shows how recording and reporting badger crime helps investigators bring offenders to justice.
WARNING: contains distressing content
6) What is the maximum sentence for badger crime under the Protection of Badgers Act?
12 months
5 years
10 years
6 months
The answer is 4. 6 months
Under the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, those committing the most serious animal cruelty crimes to a domestic animal in England and Wales can face prosecution with up to five years in prison. Similar animal cruelty committed against a wild badger can only be given a maximum of a six-month prison sentence under the Protection of Badgers Act. Our campaign, PBA30 Act for Badgers, asks for tougher sentencing to protect badgers.
7) Finish the sentence: In the 2020 lockdown, rates of badger crime...
Decreased by 12%
Increased by 22%
Decreased by 24%
Increased by 36%
The answer is 4. Increased by 36%
The Wildlife Crime Report 2020 revealed badger crime surged by over a third to 36%. Yet the lockdown had a flipside with increased public awareness and reporting.
As more people took to the countryside for their daily exercise, Badger Trust mounted a strong crime awareness campaign to save badgers from persecution, followed by the release of a hard-hitting short film ‘Stopping Badger Crime’. By urging vigilance, explaining how to recognise crimes against badgers and how to report them, and by working with local badger groups, we believe public support contributed to an upswing in crime reports.
8) Finish the sentence: According to a National survey by Badger Trust and YouGov, 64% of participants…
Did not know or were unsure that badgers and their setts were protected
Were aware that badgers and their setts were protected
Were unsure if badgers or their setts were protected
The answer is 1. Did not know or were unsure that badgers and their setts were protected
Our YouGov National Survey revealed only 36% of the Great Britain population were aware that badgers and their setts were protected under the law with 64% unaware or unsure. This shows that awareness of badger protection needs to move up the agenda so we can continue to help this much-loved native animal.
9) Badger Trust Police Training Courses include helping police officers identify signs of badger activity. Which of these is NOT a sign of badger activity?
Badger poo in an open dung pit
Scratch marks at the base of a tree
A footprint with five toes and a kidney-shaped pad
Hairs that feel round when rolled between finger and thumb
The answer is 4. Hairs that feel round when rolled between finger and thumb.
Badger guard hairs are oval and are unique in British wild mammals. The coarse hairs feel oval when rolled between finger and thumb.
10) Who should badger crime be reported to?
Badger Trust
Police
Police and Badger Trust
The answer is 3. Police and Badger Trust
Badger persecution remains a widespread and nationwide issue. Badger Trust relies on your reports of illegal activity at badger setts. Our experienced Crime Officer reviews your report and works closely with the police to follow ongoing investigations and assist as needed, giving the best chance to achieve more wildlife crime prosecutions.
We do pass information from your reports to police forces to investigate and to help identify areas where we can provide Badger Trust Police Training. However, it is always essential that you also directly report the incident to the police as they will not act on our information alone.
What can you do to Act for Badgers?
How you can report badger crime and suspicious incidents
Recognising, recording and reporting badger crime helps investigators bring offenders to justice.
If a badger crime or suspicious incident is in progress:
call 999 and ask for police assistance
ensure you get a reference number for your call
If a badger crime has already happened:
call the police on their non-emergency number 101, or online to your relevant police force using “report a crime”.
ensure you get a reference number for your call
In all cases, keep yourself safe and do not approach or disturb the scene.
PBA30 Campaign: tougher sentencing to protect badgers
You can join our PBA30 campaign and add your voice to our call for better protection for badgers. We’ve written to the Defra Secretary of State, Rt Hon George Eustice MP, to ask him to extend sentencing for badger crime. This would mean sentences for crimes such as badger baiting and shooting would present a real deterrent to badger abusers.
You can write to the Secretary of State and your MP too. The more letters they receive, the more chance we have of bringing about change, and as quickly as possible.
