16 February 2024 , 14:56
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A homeowner was left stunned when they discovered a badger made itself into their bedroom - after first trashing the house.
The cheeky female badger had tumbled from a wall into a courtyard area at the back of the house in Ryde, Isle of Wight. She gnawed through the back door to get inside, then raided the kitchen cupboards and tried to climb up the bedroom fireplace, bringing down a lot of ash.
The homeowner, who thought they'd been burgled due to the mess, found the cheeky creature upstairs in a bin in the bedroom, rescuers said. They were away for a few days, found the damage when they came back and called the Badger Trust Isle of Wight.
Rescuer Graham Lee said: "She was sleeping in an upturned bin when I went into the bedroom, I watched her walk around the room to make sure she wasn't injured and then caught her and put her into our badger cage and gave her a check over. She was a nice healthy weight so I asked a neighbour to help me carry the cage down the stairs and out onto the pavement where I gave her another check over and gave her a few minutes to get her bearings and then opened the cage.
The badger was found in the bedroom bin (Badger Trust Isle of Wight/ SWNS)He added: "She trotted off up the pavement without a care in the world. We usually get calls about badgers living underneath houses, so it's very rare to get a call about a badger actually inside the house. What could be better than spending Valentine's evening in the bedroom with a badger?"
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According to the Woodland Trust, badgers are usually found living in 'setts' - underground burrows which they create by digging with their long claws. There is a main sett considered to be the headquarters where the badgers live for most of the year - and where they rear their young. Badgers are known to practice good housekeeping, to prevent a build-up of fleas and lice.
They are also known to keep thier sleeping areas meticulously clean by dragging out old hay, grass, bracken, plastic bags and anything they've used as bedding. They typically carry the unwanted items under their chin. Most setts can be found in broadleaved woods, but badgers dig them just about anywhere where there is a high concentration of earthworms. They are usually created in easy to dig areas, including in sandy soils.