Grævling

Did you know that the badger was Denmark's largest predator until 2012? In 2012, the badger lost its title when the wolf re-immigrated to Denmark.

The BADGER

Family: Raccoon family 

Weight: Up to 20 kg.

Lifestyle: Clans (family factions)  

Feed: Mostly earthworms 

Until 2012, when the wolf returned to Denmark, the badger was our largest terrestrial predator. In addition, the badger is  the largest marten in Denmark. An adult badger can weigh up to 20 kg and has a shoulder height of about 30 cm. 

The clans

The badger typically lives in and around deciduous forests, where it digs its badger burrow. The badger lives in family groups (clans) with one adult male (the boar) and a small group of females (sows), as well as their young (the pigs). The badger burrow should not only contain one badger, but an entire family. Some graves become complex systems with passages of up to 100 meters and several exits. Some badger graves are over 100 years old and are thus passed down generation after generation.

Staying at home

The badger most often finds food, primarily earthworms, within 3-400 meters of the burrow and the badger spends more than half of its life down in the badger burrow

The badger, despite its size, is very shy. It has poor eyesight and does not approach people willingly. The badger is widespread in most of the country, however, it is missing from a number of larger islands. The badger is not endangered, but many individuals are killed in traffic, and therefore there may be very few badgers left locally.