BADGERS are more 'sociable' than often thought, with implications for how they transmit disease, new Oxford University research has revealed.
Using security tracking technology in Wytham Woods, researchers have revealed fresh insights into the animals’ social behaviour.
Previous studies have fuelled the assumption that badgers are a territorial and antisocial species, living in tight-knit family groups known as setts but the latest research has revealed that badgers travel more frequently beyond these boundaries than first thought.
Understanding day-to-day wildlife behaviour is critical to solving problems related to conservation and disease management.
Dr Stephen Ellwood, a Research Associate in the Department of Zoology at Oxford University, and the research paper’s lead author, said: “We have developed a system capable of automatically logging when badgers visit specific locations over months or years.”
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