How can I tell if a badger sett is currently occupied?

Look for fresh bedding material like clean, dry leaves or grass in the spoil heap outside the entrance—that's the most reliable sign someone's home. Well-worn paths, fresh paw prints, and recent digging around the entrances also indicate current occupation, while small trees growing out of the mound suggest it's been abandoned for a while.

How long do badgers live in the same sett?

Individual badgers don't live for centuries, but the setts themselves are used continuously for decades or even over a century, passed down through multiple generations. The same tunnel network gets expanded and renovated by each generation, making them multi-generational underground housing estates.

Do badgers use toilets underground?

Yes, badgers have separate chambers that serve as latrines, making them surprisingly civilized. They keep these toilet facilities away from their sleeping chambers, which are lined with fresh bedding material like dried grass and leaves.

Meet the Wild Locals

The Badger Sett Survey: When the Same Holes Have Been Occupied for Centuries

Badger setts in woodland edges can be decades or even centuries old, expanded room by room like subterranean terraces with astonishingly efficient drainage. You'll find the entrance by the pile of old bedding they've dragged out, which smells better than you'd expect but worse than you'd hope.

30 August 20267 min read