The European or Eurasian Badger (Meles meles) is a native British species of mammal and a member of the mustelid family, which includes pine marten and stoats.

In the rural area of North Dorset where I lived previously, badgers were very common, and hedgehogs were not. I had understood that there were very few this far North, but there are some around. I was first aware of their presence when I noticed. . .