Badgers are protected by the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. Please see the link below for details:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/51/contents
Under the Act, it is illegal to:
- Wilfully kill, injure or take a badger (or attempt to do so).
- Cruelly ill-treat a badger.
- Dig for a badger.
- Intentionally or recklessly damage or destroy a badger sett, or obstruct access to it.
- Cause a dog to enter a badger sett.
- Disturb a badger when it is occupying a sett.
There are exceptions, for which a licence would need to be obtained from Natural England. Further information can be found on their website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england
The Cambridgeshire Mammal Group are able to provide advice on planning and what to do if you have badgers in your garden. Their contact details can be found via their website.
What to do if you think someone is breaking the law
If you witness a crime in progress please call 999 and report the incident to our group afterwards.
You can report badger crime to us by telephone or email. Your details will be kept confidential if you wish.
You can also call the RSPCA 24 hour cruelty line on 0300 1234 999