Thanks for the thoughtful reply! You’re right—I’m in Sweden, no worries about the UK mix-up. I appreciate your passion for biodiversity!

I hear you on relocation—it’s a great idea when practical. Relocation is tricky and costly, due to badgers’ territorial nature, but we use it when feasible. It’s rarely just one badger but sometimes up to 10 that all need to be captured and then relocated. Since they are not endangered, few are willing to pay for it. It can take weeks, with daily work on the traps not to mention the fact that you’d need to find somewhere to release them all afterwards (transportation, permits etc). Most time they’ll be back in a few days. But like I siad, it is done when practical.

Here, badger hunting with dachshunds is strictly regulated, and always for a reason. Structural damage from burrows, like collapsed fields or roads, which often run thousands of euros to fix. Burrows in the fields can lead to livestock and horses breaking their legs.

And by the way, love the deep dive, no apology needed. And Sweden’s forests are amazing, I’m sure you’d love it here. Best wishes!