THE STATUS OF THE BADGER MELES-MELES (L, 1758) (CARNIVORA, MUSTELIDAE) IN EUROPE

The Eurasian Badger occurs throughout the Palaearctic, and in all stat es of Europe west of the border with the former Soviet Union. Within t his area it is absent only from the arctic zones, high-altitude areas, and some islands. The Badger is currently a protected species in the UK, the Irish Republic, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlan ds, Albania, Greece, Estonia, Luxembourg and Hungary, but Luxembourg a nd Hungary are to reconsider protected status. Elsewhere, the species is either considered as small-game or as a pest, hunting being regulat ed by closed seasons. At present Finland and Burgenland (Austria) affo rd protection to breeding females, whilst Bulgaria, Macedonia and the Austrian Bundeslander of Steiermark and Salzburg permit Badger hunting throughout the year. Where the species is protected, provisions usual ly exist for the removal or culling of 'pest' individuals. The officia l European game-bag currently totals about 118,000 Badgers, but poachi ng is common, particularly in the UK and Ireland. Published population estimates, coupled with national population minima obtained by extrap olation from game-bag statistics, indicate a minimum European Badger p opulation of 1,220,000; the true figure may exceed this considerably. Badger populations appear to be either stable or increasing throughout much of Europe, although no data are currently available for the popu lations of Greece, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Portu gal. Badgers are uncommon in the Netherlands, Estonia, Belgium, the Sl ovak Republic, and possibly Poland. Only the populations of Albania an d possibly of some parts of the former Yugoslavia appear to be decreas ing. The Dutch population remains at considerable risk, despite modest recent increases. The population status of the endemic sub-species of Crete and Rhodes remain uncertain and require urgent clarification. A series of management recommendations are proposed to improve the stat us of the Badger in Europe.