9:53am Thursday 20th May 2010
North Yorkshire Police are appealing for help to protect badgers – and the dogs used to hunt them.
The recent discovery of a disturbed badger sett in Ingleton, which was then back-filled to disguise the offence, is a worrying indication that illegal badger baiting is continuing in the area, they say.
Such incidents often go unreported, which makes it extremely difficult for people involved in badger baiting to be brought to justice.
Badgers are protected by general wildlife laws and also under The Protection of Badgers Act (1992). The Act states that it is a serious offence to kill, injure or take a badger, or to damage or interfere with a sett unless a licence is obtained from a statutory authority.
The law is difficult to enforce if the police are not informed of people witnessing such incidents or discovering evidence of badger setts being disturbed.
Badger baiting involves people digging into a sett before sending terriers in to drag the badgers out.
Not only is it extremely distressing and usually fatal for the badger, it often results in the dogs sustaining series injuries as well.
Wildlife Crime Officer PC Vanessa Bateson, of Craven Police, said: “The terriers used often suffer terrible injuries, usually to the lower jaw, as the badger will swing upwards with its front legs to fight the dog off.
“Terriers have been found with the whole section of skin which covers the lower jaw removed. Unfortunately these injuries usually go untreated as offenders will not take the dog to the vet for treatment for fear of exposing their illegal activities.”
PC Bateson said some people abandoned their dogs rather than have them treated. “Injured dogs are sometimes left to suffer as, sadly, offenders have been known to simply discard them at the side of the sett and leave them there to die,” she said.
“This is a clear illustration of how cruel the people involved in this barbaric activity are.
“I am appealing to anyone who has any information about badger baiting to get in touch with the police or Crimestoppers immediately. It is a barbaric activity which some people, wrongly, see as a sport.”
PC Bateson can be contacted at Grassington Police Station on 0845 6060 247. Alternatively, you can call the confidential Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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