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A 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.
I ordered this book because of my interest and passion for badgers and wasn't sure what to expect. On opening the package the cover of the book made me smile. There, looking back at me, was a dewy eyed, wet nosed badger face and thoughtfully designed with the black background and white writing staying in line with the badger's trademarks. The introduction outlined the author as a farmer's boy who grew up to realise wildlife played an important part in the countryside and embarked on a mission to learn, understand and conserve it. This dedicated man has written and produced a detailed book which covers his personal journey alongside badgers and their behaviour, legislation, authority, developers and conservation.
I found the book full of examples of his experience, easy to read, interesting and enjoyable to the point it made me chuckle or gasp and even at some points thinking—“Och … this can't be true”! In support of his written work there is a lovely selection of photos in chapter six justifying everything he had experienced. I especially loved the story Marooned: a bundle of badgers and the photo of 9 badgers huddled together up a tree is brilliant (photo gallery pages 90-91).
The book is structured well with the author putting across his thoughts and findings up for discussion. These include Bovine TB and modern farming techniques amongst other issues and the question, “Is it the badger that is the problem or is it the development?” I know what I think.
A must read for anyone who has an interest in badgers.
— Jackie Clark
George Pearce, who died in 2015, surveyed over 700 sites, visited 1,500 setts, was 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.
Introduction
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