Badger emergencies

This page has information on:

1. Badger rescue
2. local Wildlife Hospitals/ Vets
3. OBG Rescue service
4. Neighbouring Badger Groups
5. Wildlife Crime & RSPCA
6. Natural England and licenced work
7. Developers & active sett disturbance

Call for help immediately if you come across an injured badger. Do not attempt to tackle the situation alone. If you can do so safely keep a wounded badger warm and immobilised till help arrives. Do not risk transporting it as it may wake and bite.  Badger cubs can be handled safely when little. Keep them warm but do not move them unless you are sure they have been abandoned. More information about orphaned cubs is available here.

There are four centres able to help and treat badgers . The RSPCA may also be able to assist.
We suggest ringing the nearest one before setting off.  Debbie will be happy to advise if you are unsure which is best for 'your' badger.

Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital   24 hr emergency help line :   01844 292292

Aston Road, Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, HP17 8AF

Check out their emergency advice page.

The Vale Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre  Call 01386 882288 *(7am to 5pm) Outside these hours the emergency number  for fox, badger and deer ONLY is 07961 413 574. Do not use this number for any other animal report. 

Their address is:  Station Road, Beckford Nr Tewkesbury Gloucestershire GL20 7AN

The Nutkin Ward is on the Oxfordshire/Northamptonshire border.  Call: 07733 220266

https://www.facebook.com/Thenutkinward/

Oxfordshire Wildlife Rescue (OWR) can be contacted on 07549 322464. They are a voluntary group of people who take in sick, injured and orphaned British wildlife.

We do not recommend taking an injured  badger or badger cub to a local vet except if it clearly needs to be euthanised. Otherwise the animal will need specialist care from a wildlife expert centre.

OGB  provides an emergency rescue service to take an injured badger to a treatment centre.

 If you find a live, injured badger in need of rescue call Debbie on 07748 086915
Alternatively the OBG phone:  07926 219446 is manned on a rota. OBG@OxonbadgerGroup.org.uk is monitored during the day but we do not guarantee an immediate response.
Members of OBG WhatsApp groups should message for advice or assistance.

If the badger is near the Oxfordshire border,  it may be quicker to contact the local group. OBG works with our neighbours and will  go over the boundary  if necessary. Do contact us if in doubt.

if you see  badger baiting or wildlife crime currently taking place call 999 immediately, report as ongoing and ask them to attend. If you are able to, take pictures or a video of the event. Note any cars nearby along with their vehicle registration number.
DO NOT! approach the persons involved, they are likely to be violent criminals

For non emergency enquiries call 101 and ask for the wildlife officer.
Thames Valley Police wildlife officers are listed here

Always ask for a case number when you contact the police so it can be followed up.

Badger crime and suspicious events should be passed to The Badger Trust Wildlife Crime team. The Badger Trust crime officer will follow up with the police if necessary.

The RSPCA cruelty line   0300 1234 999  

or email info@rspca-oxfordshire.org.uk

Harming a badger or disturbing their setts is a criminal act unless a licence has been granted by Natural England. Unfortunately, NE do not disclose this information to the public. The activity is unlikely to be approved in the badger breeding season which runs from 1st December to 30th June unless in highly exceptional circumstances. NE will respond to official enquiries (from the police or council officers).  If you call and ask them to confirm if a licence has been granted in a specified location our  experience is that  they will give members of the public a yes/no answer.  NE are contactable enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk or call 0300 060 3900

Developers have been known to destroy setts 'by accident'. If a sett or part of a sett is bulldozed the badgers will likely be trapped and suffocate. Treat as an emergency and intervene if possible.  There are also restrictions on what is euphemistically called 'a little gardening or tidying up the plot'.  Works such as felling trees above an active sett,  spraying of herbicide or using machinery close to the sett are all likely to need a licence and/or be done under the supervision of a qualified ecologist. It can also be helpful to contact your local council planning office to check the status of the development application.