Photo Ark
Female Eurasian Badger
Meles meles
Centro Fauna Selvatica Il Pettirosso, Bussolengo, Verona, Italy
Least Concern
Eurasian Badger is abundant across much of its range. Densities have increased in Europe during recent decades (Holmala and Kauhala 2006), in central Europe because of the reduction of rabies. In western Ukraine the population has increased. In Russia, 30,000 individuals were estimated in 1990 (A. V. Abramov pers. comm. 2006). In the United Kingdom (1980s-1990s) there was a 77% increase in the total population size. There are large differences in population densities across its range; in Finland, near the northern limit of its distribution, density is low, at about 2 to 2.5 individuals per 10 km² (Kauhala in litt. ... Read More
Eurasian Badger has declined in some agricultural areas, attributed to land-use changes causing a loss of suitable habitat (Mitchell-Jones et al. 1999). It is sometimes persecuted as a pest. In central Europe the population was formerly severely reduced by rabies, but that threat has now decreased with rabies controls. In the United Kingdom the species is associated with bovine TB, which has lead to local trials to remove it. During hunting for Red Fox Vulpe vulpes or (introduced) Northern Raccoon Procyon lotor, Eurasian Badger is often killed as by-catch. In the Russian Federation the species is sometimes hunted for meat ... Read More
europe,mediterranean
Kranz, A., Abramov, A.V., Herrero, J. & Maran, T. 2016. Meles meles. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T29673A45203002. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T29673A45203002.en