W EST SURREY BADGER GROUP NEWSLETTER 73 JANUARY 2016 Badger Release Project update Badger Day Walk Sett checking New badger book published News and reports 1 ROM YOUR CHAIRMAN REASURER'S REPORT WEST SURREY F T Martin D'Arcy Nigel Mee BADGER GROUP I have three important messages for you all: Since the last newsletter there has been financial year income and expenditure have www.wsbg.co.uk expenditure for a new laptop of £567 been very similar to previous years. Income with an additional £208 paid for software to date is £6,116 and expenditure £5,872. Registered Charity No 1100142 WHERE TO SHOP IN JANUARY and setting up, tree survey work at Ruxley The funds held in the charity’s bank account Patron David Shepherd OBE Waitrose in Godalming has chosen West Surrey amounting to £275, and a deposit of £262 remain high and the financial situation for Badger Group as one of the three charities it paid on a new storage shed for housing going forward is strong. will support in the month of January. Every time stock and equipment. The land at Ruxley continues to be a you shop there, you will be given green tokens, This expenditure was all necessary concern for the committee. At the time of which you then place in one of the three charities' because (a) the old computer being used writing in 2015 costs have amounted to boxes. Waitrose will give each charity a monetary by the charity was well past its sell-by £2,015, with further necessary expenditure date – a case of “technology waits for no coming up for making some of the very tall MEMBER OF THE BADGER TRUST donation for each token given. man” perhaps?, (b) the trees at the land trees safe. When this land was first given TREASURER WANTED owned by the charity at Ruxley, in Claygate, to the charity a fund was set up of £10k for continue to be an expensive responsibility, maintenance of the site in the future. Whilst Nigel, our long-standing treasurer, is retiring and (c) the old shed housing boxes of stock there is still £3,844 left in the fund, the from the post in April 2016. We are looking for and pamphlets, stall paraphernalia, and committee is very aware that the financial THE MAMMAL SOCIETY someone to take over this important role. If you equipment generally, was about to fall burden of many of the large trees on site have some accounting experience and think down! The new shed will cost in the region needs to be reduced. of £1,200 and is expected to last for decades. I hope everyone had an enjoyable festive you can help please contact me, by email or As we move into the final quarter of the season and wish you all a trouble-free 2016. AND SURREY WILDLIFE TRUST telephone, for more details. My details are on page 15. IELD OFFICER'S REPORT HELP! F Dave Williams We have quite a few calls about badgers in Injured badger leads to suspicious meant that it had to be euthanised. When gardens, under sheds, raking lawns, digging behaviour report I arrived home there was a message on COVER PICTURE holes, breaking fences, and even some saying how I was phoned just after lunch. Could I our answerphone, asking me to call a lady pleased they are that they have badgers visiting. assist and collect an injured badger in the who happened to have phoned me several by Pat Williams A lot of these calls come when Dave is virtually Farncombe area. days before about badgers in the next door Fortunately I was able to go straight garden. answering them on his own – Sue and I are at away. I arranged to meet a young lady I rang her and she told me that her work, Peter is often in Crete and Rodger has had who had found the injured badger, which neighbour had seen something suspicious – a a very debilitating back injury. Dave has managed was still breathing but not moving much. young girl waiting on the track, and then an WELCOME TO OUR to deal with them all, but I mention this in the We met nearby and walked to where the elderly man came and it looked as though NEW MEMBERS hope that we can attract volunteers to assist us badger was lying, and I could see it was in they had a badger in a cage. They put the with these calls, incuding badger rescues. a very poor state. I brought over the cage cage in a car and the man drove off with it... Susan Atkinson and together we pushed it into the cage and Despite being upset at being called We supply all equipment and training, and Charlotte Druce carried it to my car. I then drove to Wildlife elderly, although I suppose I am, I was can reimburse any out-of-pocket expenses, such Jo Robinson Aid. pleased that the affair had been reported, as as travel. Please contact Dave or me if you are On arrival a quick examination revealed it may well have been a serious incident to interested. Our details are on page 15. serious internal and head injuries, which be investigated. 2 3 The Aldershot badger the name of the road and town in which it we saw showed very much activity. We An injured badger was delivered to Wildlife was found, but no indication of where in the arrived at a very busy Newlands Corner, Aid with some injuries but none serious. It road. The town was Aldershot, not known where we had lunch and a welcome was delivered by an RSPCA officer with only for lots of badger habitat. drink. I visited and found the road, which After a break we set off on our fortunately was not a long road, but there return journey, going past St Martha’s were several options as a possible release church. We stopped not just to admire site. We had no records of setts in the area. Martin collected the badger from the view, but to marvel at the building Wildlife Aid, and together we went to the at the top of the hill and wonder how road just after dark. We chose the most they managed to build the church and likely place, a small piece of woodland haul all the materials up there without which led to more woodland behind some modern machinery. empty army buildings. We entered the We arrived safely back at our woodland with the badger, hoping that he starting point, everyone seeming in What a handy way to celebrate would show some signs of knowing where good condition and having enjoyed a National Badger Day! These are Alex's nails it was. However, when we opened the door good day out, and all for a good cause. he refused to leave, despite us trying to Thanks to all who took part – Alex, in donations. Although not all of the encourage him. Martin, Tiffany, Isobel, Hannah, Nicky, sponsor money has been collected we We decided to go further into the wood, Sue, plus Arthur and his Dad – and will have over £500 to donate to the another 30 metres. This time he seemed more interested and pushed his nose out, thanks also to those members who sent Badger Trust. then he suddenly ran out for a few metres and did a sharp turn to the right as if he "This time he seemed more interested knew where he was. We only hope he found and pushed his nose out." the rest of his family at the sett. OUR BADGER DAY WALK This year we decided that we would do another sponsored walk to celebrate National Badger Day, and raise funds for the Badger Trust. Our chosen route this year was from the Chantries, Guildford, along the North Downs Way to Newlands Corner, then returning on a slightly different route. We passed several badger setts that we looked at. A group of nine set out from the by the sett that was dug out three years Chantries car park at 10 o'clock on ago by the Fire Service to rescue two Sunday October 5th. It was a very nice dogs; unfortunately, despite our best morning, dry and sunny. We walked efforts to repair this sett, it now seems along the North Downs Way and went to have been abandoned. up the slopes of the Chantries woods to We continued and found very fresh check the ancient setts. We also passed dungpits, although none of the setts 4 5 There is mention of a favourite of mine, arisen through our own negligence. DID YOU KNOW . ? the Narnian badger, Trufflehunter, from Often people profess to a fondness for C S Lewis’ book, Prince Caspian. by Martin D'Arcy badgers until they appear in their garden Badgers often symbolise tradition, and dig holes in the lawn, whereupon steadfastness and loyalty. They have they are treated as invasive pests. As if REAKTION BOOKS have started publishing thus, “as if someone took a half-grown been seen by indigenous cultures as a the badger was being wilfully destructive a series of natural history books each European badger and then beat it until link between the world of the living and targeting them personally, rather titled the name of an animal, that it was flat and broad.” and the underworld of the dead. More than simply looking for food (not having covers the eponymous creature from The book is full of fascinating stories recently, there has been a fascination a convenient supermarket available) and a range of perspectives.