Orphaned badger rescued after mother hit by car on busy B.C. road
An orphaned badger was taken into the care of a B.C. wildlife rehabilitation centre after its mother was hit by a car, prompting a reminder about how vulnerable the endangered species is to 'road mortality.'
The BC Wildlife Park shared the story of the badger kit's rescue, which happened in Naramata, earlier this week.
'Its mother was struck and killed by a vehicle on a busy residential road. Seeing the badger was a lactating mother, provincial biologists canvassed the area in search of her young,' a Facebook post from the park said.
'One of the orphaned kits was found hiding in a marmot den and after several days of trying, the kit was safely trapped.'
The young badger – named Maple – is being cared for at the Fawcett Family Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, where it will stay until it is strong and self-sufficient enough to be released.
But the wildlife park also notes that the fate that befell this badger's mother is a common one.
'Road mortality remains one of the leading threats to badgers in British Columbia, with some populations experiencing losses of over 70 per cent,' the Facebook post said.
'Drivers are encouraged to slow down and stay alert in wildlife areas to help reduce these preventable deaths.'
July is the deadliest month for badgers on the province's roads because highway traffic increases at the same time male badgers searching for mates, according to conservation group Badgers in B.C.,
The animals' natural habitats are grassy, relatively large and often span 'major transportation corridors,' the organization's website says.
Anyone who spots a badger in the province – living or dead – is urged to report it online as a way to help conservationists track the animals.
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