Footpath Repaired Following Badger Burrow Collapse

A section of a public footpath has undergone repairs after tunnels excavated by badgers led to its collapse. According to the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA), these mammals had established a sett beneath the pathway, situated between the Mortal Man Inn and the village church in Troutbeck, Cumbria. Given that badgers are a protected species, the LDNPA obtained a specific licence from Natural England, permitting them to excavate the track and disrupt the setts. To ensure the badgers had “safe passage to their underground chambers” and to avert subsequent collapses, rangers carried out the work by hand, installing pipes and digging specific sections. The organization stated that personnel involved in the project underwent Covid-19 testing prior to commencing repairs, due to the potential for human-to-badger transmission of the virus. The LDNPA further noted that any work on badger setts must be finalized between July and the close of November, a timeframe designed to avoid disruption to the badgers’ mating season.