Badger-baiting is a form of

blood sport A blood sport or bloodsport is a category of sport or entertainment that involves bloodshed. Common examples of the former include combat sports such as cockfighting and dog fighting, and some forms of hunting and fishing. Activities charact ...

in which

badgers Badgers are medium-sized short-legged omnivores in the superfamily Musteloidea. Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by their squat bodies and adaptions for fossorial activity rather than by their ...

are baited with dogs. A baiting session typically results in the death of the badger, and possibly serious injuries to the dogs.

Background

The badger is a usually quiet and docile creature in its own domain; however, when cornered or threatened it can show great courage. Weighing up to 35 pounds (15 kg) when fully grown, the badger has an extraordinarily dangerous bite, which it is willing to use when threatened. In addition, badgers have extremely powerful claws, used for digging in hard earth, which are more than capable of injuring a dog. A formidable adversary for any dog, the badger was a sought-after victim for the fighting pit.

Drawing the badger

In order to use the badger's ability to defend itself to test the dog, artificial badger dens were built, captured badgers were put in them and then the dog was set on the badger. The badger would be placed in a box, which was furnished in imitation of its den and from which a tunnel led upward. The owner of the badger puts his animal in the box. The

timekeeper A timekeeper is a person that measures the passage of time. They may have additional functions in sports and business. Description A timekeeper is a person who measures time with the assistance of a clock or a stopwatch. Functions Sports In ...

is equipped with a watch and the badger's owner releases the dog for the fight. Whoever wants to pit his dog against the badger lets it slide into the tunnel. Usually the dog is seized immediately by the badger and the dog in turn grips the badger. Each bites, tears and pulls the other with all their might. The owner of the dog quickly pulls out the dog whose jaws are clamped obstinately onto the badger by its tail. The two are separated and the badger is returned to its den. Then the dog is sent back in to seize the badger and it again is drawn out with the badger. This scene is repeated over and over again. The more often a dog is able to seize the badger within a minute, so that both can be pulled out together, the more it is up to the task and is considered game. Badger-baiting3

Drawing the badger came to England in the 18th century and soon became a very popular sideshow in the pit. It provided a new opportunity to win or lose money by betting. Drawing the badger thus became a permanent part of the fight in the pit. Baits were staged outside the pit in cellars or taverns, as an interesting attraction for the guests. Towards the middle of the 19th century, badger-baiting declined in popularity to be replaced by dog fighting.

Badger dogs

Benjamin Marshall - Dustman - Bulldog and Terrier Mix

Some dog breeds were specifically developed for badger-baiting whilst several other breeds were used in this task in addition to more general vermin control; breeds include the

Dachshund The dachshund ( or ; German: 'badger dog'), also known as the wiener dog or sausage dog, badger dog, doxen and doxie, is a short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed. The dog may be smooth-haired, wire-haired, or long-haired, with varie ...

and

terriers Terrier () is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. There are five different groups of terrier, wi ...

like the

bull and terrier Bull and terrier was a common name for crossbreeds between Old English Bulldog, bulldogs and terriers in the early 1800s. Other names included half-and-halfs and half-breds. It was a time in history when, for thousands of years, dogs were clas ...

and the Jack Russell Terrier.

Animal cruelty

Apart from the

cruelty Cruelty is the intentional infliction of suffering or the inaction towards another's suffering when a clear remedy is readily available. Sadism can also be related to this form of action or concept. Cruel ways of inflicting suffering may involv ...

towards badgers, dogs are also brutalized in the blood sport. Dogs usually suffer injuries to the face and neck. In some cases, the injuries are such that the dogs must be

euthanized Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from ; "good death") is the act of killing an animal humanely, most commonly with injectable drugs. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases, lack of resources to con ...

. Today, baiters often refrain from taking injured dogs to veterinarians as the doctor might understand what has taken place and report the owners to the police. For this reason the badger is often crippled and/or restrained to minimise the risk of injury to dogs. The badger's long front claws may be filed off; the canine teeth may be pulled out; the animal's limbs or jaw may be broken with a shovel. To inhibit the badger's movement, there are rumours that the tendons in its hind legs may be cut. Griffiths et al. mention nailing badgers to the ground by the tail. When the badger can no longer fight, it is killed by the baiters using methods such as shooting, stabbing, or beating to death with a shovel. Dead badgers are sometimes dumped by the roadside to be mistaken for

roadkill Roadkill is a wild animal that has been killed by collision with motor vehicles. Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) have increasingly been the topic of academic research to understand the causes, and how they can be mitigated. History Essenti ...

Legal standing

Badger baiting was outlawed in the United Kingdom as early as 1835, with the Cruelty to Animals Act. The practice of baiting of animals is now specifically forbidden under the

Protection of Animals Act 1911 The Protection of Animals Act 1911 ( 1 & 2 Geo. 5. c. 27) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It received royal assent on 18 August 1911. The act consolidated several previous pieces of legislation, among others repealing the Cru ...

. Furthermore, the cruelty towards and killing of the badger constitutes an offence under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and further offences under this act are inevitably committed to facilitate badger-baiting, including interfering with a

sett A sett or set is a badger's den. It usually consists of a network of tunnels and numerous entrances. The largest setts are spacious enough to accommodate 15 or more animals with up to of tunnels and as many as 40 openings. Such elaborate setts ...

, or the taking or the very possession of a badger for purposes other than nursing an injured animal to health. If convicted, a person may face a sentence of up to six months in

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

, a fine of up to £5,000 and other punitive measures, including, but not limited to:

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community contributing to a noble cause. In many cases, people doing community service are compensated in other ways, such as gettin ...

and a ban from owning a dog. In the Republic of Ireland, badgers and their setts are protected under the Wildlife Act 1976 and Wildlife Amendment Act 2000.

Modern times

Despite having been illegal for over 180 years, badger-baiting has continued in a clandestine manner throughout Britain and Ireland until the present day. In February 2009, ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

'' reported that badger-baiting is practised by "hardcore terrier men" who are internationally organized. ''The Sunday Times'' has also reported that there is little attention on the part of the Irish government towards animal cruelty in general. The report led to a police operation in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

in which a number of dogs were seized, but no arrests were made. In the Republic of Ireland the NPWS has secured ten convictions for the illegal persecution of badgers in the last 20 years. In 2009, badger baiting was believed to be on the rise according to animal welfare organizations. Badger-baiting is often linked to other criminal activities, and some practitioners brag on social networks about their deeds. In 2018, David Thomas of

North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...

was sentenced to 22 weeks and his accomplice to 20 for setting dogs on badgers. Criminal gangs, among them Northern Irish paramilitaries, have been reported to sell badgers for up to £700 to fight with dogs.

References

External links

;Badger-baiting
BBC – Uncovering the badger baiterWildlife Online
;Badger info
VIDEO: Badger biteBadgers.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Badger-Baiting Baiting (blood sport) Badgers Cruelty to animals