Badgers in British Columbia are facing significant challenges, with much of their natural habitat being lost to development. In addition to habitat destruction, road mortality is a major threat, as many badgers are killed on roads each year. Immediate conservation efforts are crucial to protect these vulnerable creatures and their environment.
50
Habitat Lost – Destruction Due to Development
46
Killed on Roads - Major Threat to Survival
Badgers are Endangered in British Columbia
HOW WE CAN HELP
The subspecies of badger found in British Columbia (jeffersonii subspecies) is classified as endangered because:
Habitat Loss
Their habitat is being negatively affected by human development. Badgers seem to need some component of grassland to survive. Urban development and agriculture can reduce the suitability of these dwindling habitats for badgers.
Road Mortality
Many badgers die each year trying to cross busy highways, roads, and railway lines. Humans are still a great cause of death within badger populations in British Columbia.
Historical Persecution
In the early 1900s, badgers were widely persecuted because of the perception that they were an agricultural pest. Many landowners feared that the large burrows dug by badgers posed a threat to livestock. People tend to be more tolerant of badger burrows nowadays, but the populations probably did not fully recover.
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Our Collaborators
Members of the jeffersonii Badger Recovery Team have been hard at work collecting information on badgers from throughout their range in British Columbia. These projects involve monitoring occurrences of badgers throughout BC, collecting baseline information on the ecology of these unusual creatures, and developing conservation plans to restore badger populations to self-sustaining levels.
Who We Are
Badger Recovery Team
In 2001, a Federal Badger Recovery Team was formed in response to population declines. The BC badger population is thought to have declined over the past several decades based on historic persecution, reported low recruitment, high road mortality in certain regions, and anecdotal reports from landowners citing badgers becoming less common over the past 20 years. For these reasons, the jeffersonii subspecies (American Badger) has been classified as Endangered in Canada.
The Jeffersonii Badger Recovery Team has developed a prioritized action plan for conserving badgers in British Columbia. This ‘logic model’ helps the team identify where to focus its efforts to ensure the best “bang for the buck” in trying to reach its overall goal of achieving a self-sustaining population of badgers in British Columbia.
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Still Curious About Badgers?
Learn how to spot a badger burrow, what they eat, and discover additional resources to learn more about these unique animals.
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