Road safety campaign launched at a critical time for badger cubs

Help save this year’s cubs by reporting badger road deaths.

Speeding cars and a lack of traffic-calming measures in accident hotspots mean spring can be a dangerous time for badgers and other wild animals. And with badger sows across the country busy rearing this year’s cubs, it’s peak time for cubs to be orphaned.

Peter Hambly, Executive Director of Badger Trust, said:

“We urge drivers to slow down on the roads and, if the worst happens, to urgently report badger accidents or dead badgers to Badger Trust and their local badger group. The badger may still be alive and may need urgent medical help. If it’s already dead and it’s a lactating female (producing milk), our local badger groups may be able to help rescue orphaned cubs – that’s vital at this time of year. Badgers are amazingly resilient animals, and through the work of dedicated volunteers, we can help them.”

How reporting badger road traffic casualties can save cubs

After giving birth, badger sows can roam further from the sett for food, increasing their risk of death from road traffic collisions. Newborn badger cubs remain in the sett, feeding on milk for the first three months of life. So, if a mother is killed or injured on the road, her orphaned cubs will not survive without outside help.

This is when badger groups and wildlife rescue centres can come to the rescue, and there are amazing orphaned cub success stories.

Badger Trust Groups Co-ordinator, Sally Jones, explained:

“When you report a dead or injured badger, and it’s a lactating mother, badger group volunteers will immediately try to locate the cubs. Depending on their age, they will do their best to rescue them, take them to a local wildlife rescue centre, and work with the rescue centre by building an artificial sett for release later in the year. Older cubs can often be supported with daily feeding and monitoring at their sett, which keeps them in their natural territory.

This takes a huge amount of time and dedication from Badger Group volunteers, and spring is a very busy time of year for them. Groups are always looking for keen volunteers to help them with all aspects of their work, protecting and caring for badgers. You’ll be given full training, and support, so don’t hesitate to contact your local group to get involved in this incredibly rewarding role.”

Campaign for road warning signs and traffic-calming at accident hotspots

Supported by local badger and wildlife groups, the AA and Chris Packham, Badger Trust is campaigning for warning signs and traffic-calming measures in accident hotspots.

Badger Trust also works with Cardiff University’s ‘Road Lab’ to identify where signs would have the most impact. Despite authorising them in 2019, the Department of Transport admits it has not issued any warning signs for smaller wildlife. The reason given by the Department for Transport (DfT) is that no application “could provide evidence that locations are accident and wildlife hotspots.”

Badgers are one of the most commonly killed creatures on Britain’s roads

Sadly, because of their instinctual desire to follow the same travel path, badgers are one of the most commonly killed creatures on Britain’s roads.

Hambly added:

“Badgers are following paths they have followed for hundreds of years. Roads built across these ancient paths lead to so many tragic accidents. More warning signs and other traffic-calming measures to alert drivers to slow down would help reduce accidents and the especially high death toll of badgers on the roads.

Thousands of badger cubs are orphaned because of badger deaths each year. We need to make the roads safer for everyone. Please report any badger casualties on the road, and we might be able to help the cubs.”

How to Help

If the badger is injured

If the badger is alive but injured, please contact your local badger group for immediate help first, then report to Badger Trust online via the Road Traffic Collision report form.

How to find your local badger group

Use our Badger Groups Map to find details of your local badger group or google your county/town and 'badger group'. Your RTC report is passed on to the local affiliated group, where there is one, but you could find help for an injured badger faster by contacting your local group direct first.

If the badger is dead

Where a badger has sadly been killed as a result of a road traffic collision in England and Wales, please always report to Badger Trust online via the RTC report form. This is important because:

• We log your report for our statistics to help our national Give Badgers a Brake campaign identify accident hotspots and campaign for better measures to protect badgers

• We pass on the details to your local badger group to identify local accident hotspots and help with local campaigns to protect badgers. From January to June, checking if the badger is a lactating sow means they can try to locate and help the orphaned cubs

• We share data with The Road Lab, a specialist project run by the University of Cardiff that gathers vehicle collision reports for all wildlife species across the UK

How to report

• ​​If you're driving, make a mental note of town/village/landmarks/road signs and locate them via a map later. Marking the location via what3words app or a grid reference really helps.

• Complete Badger Trust’s online report form with as much information as possible.

Badger Trust RTC reports cover England and Wales.

Report a RTC in Scotland.

Report a RTC in Northern Ireland.

Removing a dead badger

Removing dead badgers from roadways or other locations is the responsibility of your local authority. Please contact your local council to ask them to remove any dead animals.

Give a gift to support our campaigns

Donate online to support Badger Trust’s work to reduce the high death toll of badgers on roads and help save badger cubs.