Animal lovers have been asked to monitor the countryside after the mauled carcass of a tormented and tortured badger was found at Great Canfield.
The creature had been attacked by at least one dog and suffered terrible injuries. The underside of its body was covered in open wounds from bite marks. The skin under the pit of its right, front leg had been savaged. Its eyes are filled with blood – probably caused by a blow to the head with the same spade or shovel used to dig its sett.
The Uttlesford Badger Group’s horrified chairman Derek Barry said: “I would like to ask members of the public for their help when out walking the countryside to keep an eye on any badger setts they are aware of, for disturbances – other than normal badger activity – that is mounds of earth removed by badgers. Keep an eye open for destroyed setts, setts with spade marks at the entrances and blocked setts.”
The dead badger was found earlier this month, around 30m (33 yards) from its home, in a field near Hellman’s Cross by a local resident who was riding her horse.
Mr Barry: “In the field where the badger was found, four holes had been dug down into a long badger tunnel, leading into their sett, and the removed earth scattered on the surface around the holes. The holes were dug out, to either get at the badger or retrieve a dog.”
He said the dog or dogs that attacked the badger would also have been injured as the protected mammal fought for its life. The body was taken away by the RSPCA.
The hotline for reporting road accidents involving badgers is 07751 572175
