Description
Book SynopsisA fascinating insight into the badger’s world. Badger biology, life in the sett, rescue & rehabilitation, consultancy, badgers & farming, and badger-watching with George Pearce – an expert on badgers.
George has surveyed over 700 sites, visited 1,500 setts, been consulted as an expert in 120 animal cruelty cases and rehabilitated more than 100 badgers. Brought up on a farm, he earned his living as a farmer for 45 years. Today, he is a badger consultant and one of the foremost experts on the British mammal he admires the most.
For many years, the RSPCA, police, veterinary surgeons and conservation groups all over the country have relied on George Pearce’s knowledge and his instinctive feel for animal behaviour. Now you can share in his experience and enthusiasm for badgers from his 70 years of badger watching and his vast professional wildlife experience.
Trade ReviewPearce reveals a remarkable depth of knowledge about these mammals. As well as discussing badger ecology, he offers advice on many topics not covered by other authors, such as how to conduct surveys and build artificial setts. His down-to-earth manner owes more to the style of the ecological pioneer John Seymour than to the 'father' of badger biology, Ernest Neal.
-- David Dixon * BBC Wildlife Magazine *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
1. A lifetime’s experience
Marooned: a bundle of badgers
2 .Badger biology
Scented signposts; What’s on the menu?; Follow the tracks; Clues in the latrines; Spoilheaps: mountains of information
3. The world of the sett
Secret world of the sett; Tunnels: DIY larders Reproduction Head over heels – but it gave me a clue
4. Badgers in the family
Badgers – every one a character; Hiya, captivating Hiya; Bodger, the one and only Bodger
5. Badger rescue
Road victim with a sad secret; Road victims: what you should do; A badger in a sack and the owl that wheezed; Help them, but don’t hang on to them
6. Badger consultancy
Ducks’ legs and raindrops; Makeway, makeway; Have they read the book?; Some of the things I am asked to do; You name it, they’ll dig there; Sett closures and artificial setts; Tackling the big jobs
7. Badgers and farming
Too much muscle; “Killed a hundred, he’ as”; Carry on farming!; Bovine tuberculosis (bTB); Badgers and bTB
8. Badger-watching
Sett-watching tips; Sit quietly!; The weather; Feeding badgers ; Seeing in the dark; Hides
9. Final thoughts
Useful contacts
Index
