A world beneath our feet · British wildlife
As the last light slips between the trees, a secret world stirs. The UK's friendliest guide to badgers and the woodland wildlife that shares their night.
Meles meles · the European badger
We never disclose badger or sett locations. Our secret, and theirs!
Free · no sign-up · made in Britain
Who we are
The Badger Sett is run by Marcus and Ell, badger watchers since childhood near Skipton, visiting setts that generations of badgers have used for 50 years. Everything here is free, sourced, and written for curious people of all ages.
This month in the wood
What badgers are doing
Choose a trail
Every guide links to an Academy lesson, and every lesson links back to the full guide.
Badger guide
Setts, senses, food, clans and cubs, myths and the questions people ask most.
Read the guide ↗
Spot & identify
Footprints, snuffle holes and our whose-hole-is-it identifier.
Start detecting ↗
Woodland Friends
Foxes, hedgehogs, deer, squirrels, owls and more, each linked back to Brock.
Meet the neighbours ↗
Badger Academy
Short lessons, levelled quizzes and certificates to print, for families and schools.
Earn your stripes ↗
Quick answers
Short, sourced answers first, with the full story one click away.
Badger news
Updated October 2026
The last licensed culls ran until January 2026, and in July Natural England confirmed the final licence would not be renewed. Vaccination is taking its place. Here's what happened and why opinions differ.
Fieldwork 2025–2027
The first national badger survey in over a decade is under way, with results due after the winter of 2026/27. The last estimate was about 485,000 badgers in England and Wales.
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