THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE BADGER IN ESSEX
1
The Distribution of the Badger in Essex
By R. A. D. Cowlin
This study of the distribution of the badger, Meles meles (L.),
has been carried out in Essex as part of a larger study, the
National Badger Survey, which was started in 1962 under the
auspices of the Mammal Society. But before this time, D. R. Scott,
D. I. Chapman, A. C Wheeler and other members of the Club had
been collecting badger sett records. D. R. Scott was the first
County Badger Recorder and he has been succeeded in 1964 by
W. W. Page and in the last four years by myself. It is the result
of the work of all these people that is the basis for this paper.
Previous Descriptions
There have been few previous accounts of the animal's dis-
tribution in Essex.
The most detailed old account is by Henry Laver in his Special
Memoir, "The Mammals, Reptiles and Fishes of Essex", pub-
lished in 1898. He started his section on the badger by saying
that: "This animal, known so well to most of us by hearsay from
a previous generation, has now become scarce in the County,
where, fifty years ago, it was very common. Clearance of woods,
diminution of hedgerows, and excessive game preserving have
been the most effectual causes of its decrease. The latter, as it is
now practiced, will, I fear, in time blot out not only the poor
badger, but every other animal which, whether useful or not, can
be classed by ignorant gamekeepers or their masters under the
head of "vermin"." His account reports them however from
many scattered locations throughout the County, and despite his
preliminary warning, badger setts are still known from most of
these localities today.
G. Dent (1922) stated that "badgers are much commoner in
the County than is generally supposed". He listed them from
some thirteen locations in the County, and again they are cur-
rently known from all these locations, except Saffron Walden.
D. Scott (1960) gave a summary of reports up to that time. He
considered that the badger "seems to be holding its own and is
breeding even under the advance of building in some areas". His
modern records are incorporated in Fig. 1, as are those given in
Page and Scott (1964) and (1965) and Page (1966).
The London Area as a whole has been covered by Teagle
(1969) who showed that badgers were present in many parts of
the countryside around London. Most of his records for Essex
came from the previous Essex Badger Recorder, W. W. Page.