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Badger damage to
agriculture in England and Wales
Journal
Journal of Applied
Ecology, Volume 36,Number 6, December 1999, pp. 974-988(15) -
Blackwell Publishing
Authors
Moore N.1; Whiterow A.1;
Kelly P.1; Garthwaite D.1; Bishop J.1; Langton
S.1; Cheeseman C.1
1: Central Science
Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ,UK
Abstract
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In response to reported increases in badger numbers and
associated agricultural damage, a questionnaire survey of 3600 land
owner/occupiers was conducted in 1997 to determine the extent and significance
of badger damage in England and Wales. We assess the significance of
badger-induced damage and highlight problem regions, farm types and specific
crops to allow targeting of future research efforts at amelioration. (This
survey investigated alleged badger damage to agriculture but did not address the
role of badgers in the transmission of bovine tuberculosis.)
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The return rate of the questionnaire was 55·1% (n =
1982) and 150 of the responses were ground-truthed.
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Almost 30% of those land owner/occupiers who responded reported
that badger damage had occurred in the previous 12 months, and 57% reported an
increase in damage during the past 5 years.
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Badger damage was widespread, but its incidence was highly
dependent on region and farm type. The most frequently reported damage (25·5%)
resulted from badgers’ burrowing activities (especially those causing damage to
fences). Crop damage was also frequently reported (21·2%), with wheat, forage
maize and vines being damaged most frequently.
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Ground-truthing showed that incorrect attribution to badgers of
damage was negligible and that the majority of respondents had assessed
correctly the extent and cost of badger damage, except for predation on
livestock where most ‘evidence’ was circumstantial.
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Most reported damage was of little economic consequence to
individual land owners/occupiers; however, approximately 5% estimated that they
had incurred costs of over £1000.
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Assuming that the questionnaires returned were a random subset
of those distributed, the mean estimated national cost was £41·5 million per
annum (62% of which was due to burrowing activity). Assuming that all the
non-respondents had no damage, the estimate was £21·5 million per annum.
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Future research into management options for damage limitation
should be targeted at the areas and situations of most significant damage. These
are primarily burrowing damage and direct crop damage to wheat, maize, vines,
fruit and vegetables. The region suffering the most intense damage was the
south-west of England. The highly seasonal nature of the damage to some crops
will allow preventative action to be taken at the most appropriate times.
Predation by badgers on livestock is considered a small-scale and unproven
problem.
Keywords
burrowing; crop; predation; questionnaire
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