Badger sett on Roundway Downs destroyed by diggers
4:09pm Monday 11th June 2012 in News
The destroyed badger sett
Police Community Support Officer John Bordiss, a wildlife crime officer with the Rural Crime Team, inspected a site on Roundway Downs Devizes after receiving reports that a badger sett had been dug out and destroyed.
Local people advised that a woman's terrier entered the badger sett, which is immediately next to a byway, sometime on Thursday and was later joined by a man who also started digging to retrieve the dog.
The Wiltshire Police Rural Crime Team works closely with many wildlife and conservation groups and other agencies at county, regional and National levels.
It is understood from the Wiltshire Badger Group that badgers were known to be active in the sett and have now left due to the digging out/disturbance.
Disturbance of badger setts is illegal under the 1992 Badger Act.
In this instance, the badger sett has been totally destroyed at the most sensitive time of year when badgers are still looking after their young. Had the dog owners taken advice from police, Badger Trust or the RSPCA, they would have been informed not to touch the sett but to be patient. In 99 per cent of cases, dogs get themselves out within 48 hours with no damage or injury to dog or badger.
Anyone with information regarding this incident or individuals involved is asked to contact Wiltshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.
Comments(13)
notscot
says...
8:07pm Mon 11 Jun 12
TheDex
says...
8:19pm Mon 11 Jun 12
jamesharrison
says...
12:17am Tue 12 Jun 12
What utter twaddle.
If you can't control your terrier, then perhaps you should ask yourself if you are, in any way, shape or form, a responsible dog owner.
There are too many dogs in the world - if they're not savaging some poor innocent child, they're leaving their excrement everywhere and, as in this case, destroying the wildlife.
That goes for cats too.
devizesboy
says...
10:23am Tue 12 Jun 12
Oh, on those dog walkers that pick up poo, great. To those that then throw it in hedges, well grow up.
notscot
says...
8:39pm Tue 12 Jun 12
notscot
says...
8:40pm Tue 12 Jun 12
What the HECK happened there?!!!!!
Did anyone else out there see that....?
FromTheWirral
says...
3:19pm Wed 13 Jun 12
FromTheWirral
says...
3:24pm Wed 13 Jun 12
Againsttheflow
says...
5:15pm Wed 13 Jun 12
devizesboy
says...
10:05am Thu 14 Jun 12
Againsttheflow wrote:I doubt you would reclassly use a spade but rather seek assistance from people that know what they are doing. Dogs like children need responsible owners.
I agree with the dex, no way would anyone leave a dog in the middle of nowhere down a badger set, to some people a dog means as much as their children, would you question this if a child went down a badger set? no!
Don Jones
says...
2:32pm Sun 17 Jun 12
Againsttheflow wrote:Am I alone in finding this post a little disturbing? And, for that matter, the whole thing is a little fishy.
I agree with the dex, no way would anyone leave a dog in the middle of nowhere down a badger set, to some people a dog means as much as their children, would you question this if a child went down a badger set? no!
devizesboy
says...
11:46am Thu 21 Jun 12
Grumpy of Calne. says...
5:28pm Mon 11 Jun 12