European Badgers in British Zoos

[Jennings]

Couple of questions.

First, ZTL lists only six collections in the UK as presently holding Badgers, and that number feels low to me. Is it accurate? I assume that there must be plenty more in rescue centres, sanctuaries, private collections etc.

Second, do any British (or for that matter European) collections currently hold erythristic Badgers?

 

[Alwaysevergreen]

Couple of questions.

First, ZTL lists only six collections in the UK as presently holding Badgers, and that number feels low to me. Is it accurate? I assume that there must be plenty more in rescue centres, sanctuaries, private collections etc.

Second, do any British (or for that matter European) collections currently hold erythristic Badgers?

Not sure how easy it would be to have a Badger in a private collection tbh. Rescue centres will no doubt take in and release once healthy.

I thought only, Wildwood, British Wildlife Centre, Five Sisters and New Forest Wildlife Park had Eurasian Badgers myself ?

Hoo have a Badger Watch experience and offer the opportunity to stay in lodge accommodation at this area, but these are where you will see wild badgers, not captive ones, and they are not actually part of the zoo. The zoo itself, does not house any badgers.

 

[Jennings]

I thought only, Wildwood, British Wildlife Centre, Five Sisters and New Forest Wildlife Park had Eurasian Badgers myself ?

Also Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary, apparently, and ZTL lists Hoo presumably on the basis that the sett is on zoo land.

 

[Angel]

Dudley Zoo has at least one sett on site by the top of the chairlift (wild badgers rather than captive ones).

 

[ZooNews2024]

Paignton had rather a lot too, proving something of a mixed blessing for them...
Lets hope Hoo and Dudley dont have the same problems.

 

[GreatApe]

Dudley Zoo years ago, (as in, forty five to fifty years ago!), held Eurasian Badgers in a sort of circular concrete amphitheater enclosure with a glass fronted den box, more or less opposite where the camels are now. I remember even as a child thinking it looked a grim place to exist in, to say the least!

I believe that some setts in the Dudley Zoo area were targeted by badger diggers a decade or two ago, although I don't know if there have been any recent problems. For this reason, when I spoke to some of the Education Staff, (years ago), they explained that they try to keep information about the presence or absence of wild badgers on site low key, and certainly aim to keep actual sett locations - on or off site - out of the public domain.

 

[Jennings]

Thanks all. I take it that's a No on erythristic Badgers then?

 

[GreatApe]

I take it that's a No on erythristic Badgers then?

That's correct, sorry! I've only ever seen photos, but thought they looked stunning!

 

[Jennings]

I'm fairly sure there's at least one wild sett at Edinburgh Zoo too.

 

[Jana]

I´ve seen a tv documentary about a UK wildlife rescue station many years ago and it was clearly communicated there that any animal not fit for release into wildness would be euthanised. I always assumed (maybe incorectly) that this is widespread policy within the UK.

It could explain why badgers are so rare in UK collections. Basically all captive european badgers in my part of continent are orphaned hand-reared cubs that were accepted by various rescue stations, deemed unreleasable and then dispersed to various places. Captive breeding is rare to non-existent (due to lack of interest).

Personally, I don´t know any captive leucistic/erythristic european badger.

 

[Jennings]

I´ve seen a tv documentary about a UK wildlife rescue station many years ago and it was clearly communicated there that any animal not fit for release into wildness would be euthanised. I always assumed (maybe incorectly) that this is widespread policy within the UK.

It could explain why badgers are so rare in UK collections. Basically all captive european badgers in my part of continent are orphaned hand-reared cubs that were accepted by various rescue stations, deemed unreleasable and then dispersed to various places. Captive breeding is rare to non-existent (due to lack of interest).

The British Wildlife Centre has bred them several years running, and for that matter at least some of its cete are rescue animals (there's an RSPCA facility just up the road).

 

[Sand Cat]

I´ve seen a tv documentary about a UK wildlife rescue station many years ago and it was clearly communicated there that any animal not fit for release into wildness would be euthanised. I always assumed (maybe incorectly) that this is widespread policy within the UK.

It could explain why badgers are so rare in UK collections. Basically all captive european badgers in my part of continent are orphaned hand-reared cubs that were accepted by various rescue stations, deemed unreleasable and then dispersed to various places. Captive breeding is rare to non-existent (due to lack of interest).

Personally, I don´t know any captive leucistic/erythristic european badger.

I'm pretty sure that isn't standard policy. I'm not 100% sure but I don't think that Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital do that. Whilst not completely against euthanasia, they tend to view it as a genuine last resort.

I do know at least one place wouldn't release adult male badgers that were injured due to the likelihood of them being attracked by other badgers on release, and these would sadly be put down.