Synopsis:
Badgers are loved by some and hated by others. Yet few people have ever seen one alive. So how does the badger maintain its secret life?
This film follows a badger family throughout the year, from the birth of their tiny cubs deep underground, to their spring emergence, discovery of summer scenery and encounters with people and wild neighbours. Set against the idyll of country life on a working farm, this film uncovers the dark and light side of the badger as never seen before. What is revealed is a surprising, entertaining and moving account of the country's most respected and endlessly watchable wild inhabitant.
Andrew Cooper, a Devon wildlife film-maker, has uncovered new scientific evidence about the secretive underground lives of wild badgers in their setts after two years of detective work. For this film for the BBC using the latest infra-red research and hidden cameras he filmed badgers deep underground in their sett. The cameras also reveal the extent of the impressive badger sett - a network of passages and chambers covering nearly an acre of an ancient wood.
After 26 years of observing animals in the wild, this is the first time he has filmed unknown behaviour that no-one has ever observed before. Until now scientists could only guess what badgers did in their underground sett. This is the first time anyone has managed to get cameras underground to watch a family of wild badgers living at their sett in close detail. They have found out some surprising things. For instance badgers make their beds before they leave home at dusk every day.
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