Found a sick or injured badger
If you've found a badger who is sick, injured, or distressed, follow our guide to get them the right care quickly. Badgers are nocturnal creatures who like to keep away from humans – so if you spot one out in daylight and they don’t disappear when they see you, something might be wrong. On this page you’ll learn how to identify a badger in need, how to help a badger and what to do if you find a dead badger.
Jump to:
How to tell if a badger is injured or distressed
Badgers, though playful and curious, often shy away from interactions with humans. So, if a badger notices your presence and doesn’t leave, or you're able to get close to one (we don’t recommend approaching, as badgers can attack if they feel threatened) the chances are that something is wrong.
Signs that a badger is sick, injured or distressed
- The badger is out during the day: Badgers are nocturnal, so seeing them in the daylight may be a sign they’re dehydrated, short on food, in discomfort (this can happen on hot days if their sett becomes uncomfortably warm), injured or is a cub who’s lost their parents.
- The badger is a cub out on their own: Cubs usually stay underground in their sett until they’re two months old, however they do begin to venture out on their own as they wean. Observe the cub for signs something is wrong.
- The badger is shivering or has collapsed: They may be an orphaned cub who’s hungry and cold. Find more information on how to help cubs below.
- The badger is trapped: A badger caught in a snare or fence will need help being released (don’t do this yourself!).
- The badger has an obvious injury: An open wound, limping or damaged leg, for example, indicates that they need help.
- The badger has been attacked by an animal or hit by a car: Dog attacks and traffic accidents can leave badgers severely, even fatally, injured.
- Gunshot wounds from shooting
- Bite wounds from territorial badger attacks
- Severe injuries from badger baiting
- Snare wounds
- Trauma from road traffic accidents
If you spot a badger or cub with any kind of injury – or if you’re unsure whether or not they’re in distress – find out how to help below.
Spotted a sick or injured badger?
Don’t put yourself at risk to help an animal in a dangerous location, like a road, river, railway line or clifftop. Instead, report your concern.
Do's and don’ts
What to do with an injured badger
If you find a badger you suspect is injured or in need of help, call us on 0300 1234 999, so we can provide expert help. Here are some other do and don’t's:
Do
Leave the badger alone and call us: Or contact a local wildlife centre or badger group for advice and assistance.
Observe from a safe distance: Keep an eye on the badger, ensuring you’re not blocking their path. If you find a badger on the side of a road, make sure you’re safely away from the traffic.
Make a note of where you found the badger: They may be close to their sett and so will likely be released in the same area. Try to pinpoint the exact location – landmarks, signs or a What3Words reference can help.
Watch to see if the badger moves away: If the badger goes somewhere else, try to observe where it’s moved to and let us know.
Wait for the RSPCA to arrive: Our rescue team will get there as soon as we can*.
Don't
Don’t try to approach, pick up or rescue the badger yourself: Badgers might bite if they feel threatened, frightened or in pain. And if your scent is on a cub, the clan may not accept them back.
Don’t try to release a badger from a snare or entanglement: The badger may run off and die from the injuries inflicted.
Note: Snaring can be a wildlife crime, so should also be reported to the police. If you’re able, take photos of the scene.
*We may be unable to attend injured badgers if our capacity doesn’t allow it.
How to help badger setts
Badgers and their setts are protected by the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. It’s an offence to destroy, disturb or cause harm to a sett or a badger. You can read more about badgers and the law here. The best way to keep a badger sett safe is to leave it alone.
If you’re a dog owner, ensure that dogs are kept away from, or on a lead, when passing a sett. If your dog enters a badger sett or gets stuck in a badger sett, do NOT attempt to dig them out. Trying to dig into the sett to retrieve your dog is both illegal and can put you, your dog and badgers in danger. Instead, you should:
- Check to see if your dog has actually gone inside the sett: There’s a chance they may have just run past, not into, the entrance or hole.
- Monitor the hole and any exits: Your dog may come out on their own.
- Make a note of your location: Using landmarks, road signs or a What3Words reference for your exact whereabouts.
- Contact us on 0300 1234 999: You can also reach out to Badger Trust or your local badger group.
In most cases, your dog will find their own way out. Until then, try to wait patiently until they emerge or the RSPCA arrives.
If you’ve decided to wait before contacting us or we’ve been unable to attend due to limited available capacity – and after 48 hours your dog is still in there – contact us, Badger Trust or your local badger group again.
Watch RSPCA Inspector Godfrey rescue a jack russell from a badger sett in Cowcroft Woods.
Badgers are one of the most persecuted animals in the UK, despite being legally protected. They need all the help they can get and the public has a vital role to play.
Badgers on the road
Sadly, we see many badgers admitted to our wildlife centres with injuries due to traffic collisions – especially in early spring, the peak mating season and when sows (females) forage for food for their young.
If you find a badger on the road, check to see if they seem healthy and unharmed, or injured.
If the badger looks healthy and:
- Is on a motorway or A-road: Call Highways England on 0300 123 5000, or Traffic Wales on 0845 602 6020 – they’ll make arrangements for the animal to be safely collected.
- Is on minor roads: Call the police on 101 – they’ll decide the best action to take for both the badger and road users.
If the badger looks injured and is on the road, please call us on 0300 1234 999. We’ll try to rescue the badger as soon as we can.
Note: If you think there’s been a traffic accident that’s caused the badger injury or been caused by the badger’s presence, inform the police on 101.
If you find a dead badger on or by the road, find out what to do below.
If you’re out walking or cycling when you see the badger, make sure to keep a safe distance from both the animal and the busy road.
If you’re driving when you spot the badger, take extra care, particularly at night. Keep your high beams on, your speed low and be aware that another badger may be following one who has already crossed.
Try to make a mental note of the whereabouts of the badger – using road signs or landmarks, etc – and only stop when it’s safe to do so.
Report a badger accident or crime
If you’ve spotted a new badger sett location, a badger road casualty or a dead badger in the road, or suspicious or illegal activities affecting badgers and their setts – including badger baiting or digging – report it confidentially to Badger Trust.
Found a badger cub
Badger cubs stay underground in the sett for the first eight to 10 weeks, so if they’re above ground, there’s probably something wrong.
If you find a badger cub on their own in any of the following circumstances, contact us on 0300 1234 999:
- The cub is in immediate danger (by a main road)
- The cub is sick or injured
- The cub's eyes are closed
- The cub is shivering or has collapsed
- The cub is very small (the size of a kitten)
- The cub is still on their own in the same place after you've waited for 24 hours
- You can see the cub's mother is dead
- There are signs the cub’s sett has been damaged
Don't try to pick up, rescue or transport the badger yourself – they can be aggressive when stressed, frightened or injured. Also, if your scent is on the cub, they likely won’t be accepted back into the sett.
Make a note of the exact location of the cub (using landmarks, road signs or What3Words, for example) so we know where to return the badger after rescue and recovery. Sick or injured badger cubs need expert care to survive – but taking a cub into captivity is a last resort. Their average stay in a wildlife centre is six months, which is a long time in a young badger's life.
Advice for other situations you might find a badger cub in:
- You’re unsure if the badger cub is injured or not: Watch and wait for an hour or two.
- The badger cub has their eyes open and looks healthy: Monitor from a distance for 24 hours (at least overnight).
- There’s no adult badger with the cub: Leave water and cat or dog food nearby, and check again in 24 hours (leaving out food daily also helps cubs during dry weather).
- The badger cub is cat-sized: It’s likely older than 15 to 16 weeks and is fully weaned. There may be nothing wrong – but keep an eye out for a parent searching for it.
- The cub is crossing a road: If it’s safe for you to do so, try and help them cross by indicating to oncoming traffic – but don’t put yourself at risk.
If you’re still not sure if the badger cub is okay, report your concern to us.
What does a healthy cub look like?
Below is what a typical healthy cub looks like, and how it behaves,
at different stages of its growth.
Age: Birth
weight: 75–130g (approx)
Usually born in February, blind, toothless, with fine white fur (facial stripes develop after a few days). They nest below ground in their sett.
Age: 5–7 weeks
weight: 800g (approx)
Eyes open for the first time, with milk teeth appearing between 4 to 6 weeks. They begin exploring their sett tunnels at around 6 weeks.
Age: 8-10 weeks
weight: 1500g (approx)
They will pop their heads out of the sett around 8 weeks old. They can be seen above ground close to their sett from late April.
Age: 12 weeks
weight: 3kg
Adult teeth appear between 10 to 16 weeks. Weaning is typically complete (by July) and cubs transition to solid foods like earthworms.
Age: 15-16 weeks
weight: 5kg
Adult teeth are fully present. Cubs are considered mostly independent and capable of finding their own food.
Don’t get too close – badgers bite!
Badgers and cubs may bite if they feel vulnerable, threatened or are in pain. They’re not dangerous or aggressive creatures, but can attack if they’re frightened. Don’t approach or attempt to handle them – leave that to us.
Found a dead badger
If you find a dead badger, you should report the badger to both:
They will advise you on what happens next.
If you find the badger between January and April, without touching the badger, check to see if the badger is female (look for teats) and for any signs that there may be badger cubs around (the presence of milk from feeding their young, or drooping nipples).
If you spot a dead badger at the side of the road and you’re driving by, first try to make a note of the exact location and find a safe place to stop, then report the dead badger. If you’re walking or cycling, make sure you’re safely away from the traffic before reporting.
If you think there may be cubs nearby, contact us on 0300 1234 999, Badger Trust or your local badger group.
Are you worried about the spread of Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB)?
Found another type of animal?
If you’ve found a sick or injured wild animal that’s bigger than a rabbit or
et cat, is a farm animal, bird, stray dog, or an animal on the road, here’s what you can do to help:
-
There are extra measures you need to take, so check our website to find out.
-
Visit our website, or call us on 0300 1234 999.
-
Call the Animal Plant and Health Agency.
-
Call the police. On minor roads, call the police on 101. In certain circumstances, for example if you find a badger who appears uninjured and is on a motorway or A-road, call Highways England (0300 123 5000) or Traffic Wales (0845 602 6020) who will make arrangements for the animal to be removed. If they appear injured, call us on 0300 1234 999
-
If you hit, or see somebody hit a dog, horse, cattle, pig, goat, sheep, donkey or mule, report the accident to the police.
-
Call the local council.
-
Read our small mammal guides on how to identify if a small wild animal is sick or injured, and how to safely pick them up and transport them to your nearest vet.
Related content
