Continue to assess success of augmentation of the badger population in the upper Columbia valley. In 2002, 5 male and 2 female badgers were successfully translocated from northwestern Montana to the upper Columbia valley. In 2003, 2 adult females, 2 adult males, 2 juvenile females and 2 juvenile males were successfully translocated.
Continue to collect DNA samples from East Kootenay badgers and other locations in BC, Alberta, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. The information obtained through this augmentation and DNA analysis will also be useful for other areas of the province, such as the Thompson/Okanagan, where population augmentation may also be required.
Implement other conservation actions for badgers and their main prey, Columbian ground squirrels, such as:
implement cooperative wildlife management and education with private developments such as golf courses;
provide input into ecosystem restoration initiatives;
provide input into conservation covenants and volunteer landowner agreements;
continue education efforts through schools, radio, television, brochures, displays, magazines and newspapers; and
assess strategies to reduce roadkill, such as including additional culverts and providing openings in concrete road barriers.
Assess the population dynamics of resident and translocated badgers including home range size, reproductive success and mortality causes and rates through radiotelemetry.
Continue to collect sightings of badgers in the East Kootenay.
Participate on the national/provincial badger recovery team and assist in the development of a Regional Action Group.
Activities/Techniques
The following steps will be followed to complete this project.
Monitoring of all resident and translocated radiotagged badgers will continue, to determine home range size and mortality rates and causes.
Opportunistic translocation of “problem” badgers from Montana will be facilitated.
DNA from any badgers trapped in the project, and from roadkills in BC, Alberta, Montana, Idaho and Washington, will be collected. State and provincial agencies will continue to be contacted requesting their cooperation in obtaining these samples.
Remote cameras and human observers will be used at natal dens to determine numbers of kits/female. Kits of translocated females will be trapped and radiotagged.
Carcasses of any roadkilled badgers will be collected and post-mortum assessments conducted. Tissues samples will be labeled and stored. Teeth will be sent for aging.
Management direction will be provided to all cooperating agencies and private organizations to work toward badger conservation. This will include participation on the Badger Recovery Team.
Educational materials and programs will continue to be provided to landowners, conservation groups, local regional and provincial governments, and private industry, such as golf courses.
Sightings data from the Badger Hot Line will continue to be recorded.
For more information on our partners for the East Kootenay Badger Project, please visit the following sites:
