Friend,
Badgers are being dragged from the only homes they have ever known. They are peaceful animals. They share their homes with foxes and hedgehogs. They avoid conflict whenever possible. But when men smash into those underground tunnels and send dogs down after them, there is nowhere to run. Trapped beneath the soil, they fight for survival.
Locator collars track the dogs as they corner terrified badgers underground. When the signal stops, the digging begins. The badger is hauled out, injured, disoriented and forced into a makeshift pit where multiple dogs are released and the badger is torn apart. In gambling-driven attacks, badgers are transported to secluded buildings and thrown into enclosed arenas where escape is impossible.
The badger bleeds out, alone and terrified.
This is deliberate. And it is growing. Badger baiting incidents rose by 46% in 2024. Yet convictions remain rare. Most offenders face a maximum of just six months in prison.
Wildlife crime is strongly linked to violent offending, drug crime, and domestic abuse. Stopping badger persecution protects more than wildlife, it protects communities.
Sign now to support undercover investigations into badger persecution.
– Team AWIP