Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue encouraging through knowledge a natural balance

Registered Charity No: 1143603

soft release

badger soft release


Adult badger release.


In the case of an adult badger injured on the road or otherwise, we would always release in the location it was found. When badgers arrive with us we always establish the exact location. In the UK badgers have a strong sense of community and live in tight groups called clans. Adult badgers get very excited in their carry cages when they near the home. This badger "self detection" is a good indication for us that we are in the right area as sometimes badgers may be found on the edge of several setts.
In some cases the wounds are indicative of internal battles and release process differs.


Cub Releases


In the case of cubs our work is a lot more complicated. Cubs arrive with us at varying ages and are put into small groups as early as possible. Once bottle feeding is over, as little contact as possible is made with the badgers. On occasions the severity of the injury means that human contact is prolonged. Providing a strict program is introducuced by one adult and the remaining badgers are not used to human contact the release process is usually possible under strict guidelines.
We carry out detailed surveys on our release sites. We use maps, local knowledge and tracking skills to establish the site is safe and able to support our new clan. Careful consideration is given to the suitability of a site in relation to flora and fauna and supporting and sustaining a food supply for this new group.

Our runs have compacted earth and small ponds inside allowing the cubs to dig and swim. Badgers do swim in the wild and do sometime play in water on hot days. We take our cubs to their release site as early as possible so they can use their powerful claws and build their own sett. We have found this makes them feel secure as they have a safe place away from human contact. Badgers often come out during the day time in the early stages but by September they are usually fully nocturnal. We release the badgers during December and January from their release run when they are fully grown.
To date all our previously released badgers have remained in their original setts for several months. We have altered this program to suit our cubs over the last twenty years and we find this method the most successful.
We never stop learning and we never stop improving. If you have a suitable release site for our badgers please contact us on info@harperaspreywildliferescue.co.uk and we will be pleased to come and meet you to discuss further with a view to releasing badger cubs.

 

 

 

How we started

 

Whilst out walking with my dog in the early 1980's I found a small hedgehog stuck in a fence. He was too fat to go through and his prickles wouldn't let him go back.


He had been pushing so long in an attempt to free himself that the wire had cut into his body and his leg was bleeding where he had pushed and pushed against the ground. I had in my handbag a pair of pliers (no surprise to anyone who knows me) I cut the wire and removed the hedgehog READ MORE

 

 

why we do it

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance on the beach, and so he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean READ MORE

 

To find out a little about the people that run our rescue Click here Our Team

 

long term goals

Our long term goal is to set up an exciting Education Centre for school and groups ·with a fully equipped 24 hours wildlife hospital with full time vets and ambulances. Anyone able to help with this progress this in relation to land and finance should contact Anne for more detail on. info@harperaspreywildliferescue.co.uk.

 

shop with amazon and raise funds for us

If you buy from Amazon through our web site some money will go to supporting us and it wont cost you a penny more. You can also buy Amazon gift vouchers too. A great way to give a gift and support wildlife.

Click below on the Amazon logo to get directly to their site and shop or read More

 

 

 

 

 

please donate here

Help us to help the wildlife we care for by donating here. Click on the button below. Just one sachet of cat food feeds a baby hedgehog for a day

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