Posted by the Animal of the Year team, 24.10.2016

The trail camera recorded unique images of the relations of badgers and raccoon dogs. At least the badger year team doesn’t know of anything similar having been recorded earlier. 

In the video we see a confrontation that occurred at the sett in the middle of last week. The badger did not keep to the other side of the sett as usual when the raccoon dogs are present but stepped boldly forward. The body language of the master was assured and confident, not ferocious. In the video growling can be heard. It is from the raccoon dog that in a stressful situation arches its back like a cat and expresses its displeasure. Finally the raccoon dog retreated and the badger rushed forward to show it its place. Probably the conflict ended just with chasing the raccoon dogs off. The badger comes to the sett a few minutes later. At the end of the video there are some images from the next night when one of the raccoon dogs has slipped into the burrow and the other waits outside. Suddenly however there is a rush. The badger drove the annoying intruder off, the master himself did not come out of the burrow and there was no lengthy chase this time.

Life otherwise at the sett is as always. The badgers are constantly present with the arrival of cold weather. They tidy up and check all burrows in use.  They are probably ready with the lining of the nest. The large male badger is only seen dragging leaves to the burrow a few times. The raccoon dogs are in place as before. They confidently crawl into the ready-made burrows and cannot understand why this might go against the grain for the badgers.

It is the same story with the burrows at the back. The badgers go to the forest to fatten up, in the sett they go on with getting the nest chambers in order for winter. The raccoon dogs boldly press ever closer and couldn’t care less for the privacy of the badgers.