On the Brink, but still here

Badgers are considered to be an endangered species in Ontario, having been listed as a Species-at-Risk by both the Ontario and Canadian governments. It is estimated that there are fewer than 200 badgers in the province. They face threats from vehicle collisions, disease, and habitat loss. Badgers in southern Ontario are also completely isolated from neighbouring badgers, which raises the long term risk of inbreeding as well. It seems clear that the odds are stacked against them.

But not everything is bad news. We are learning that badgers are hardy animals and rather tolerant of human activity. They are adaptable and opportunistic, allowing them to make the most of situations that are less than ideal. And in fact, farming in some areas is actually capable of creating habitats that badgers can use. While this process is unintentional and relies on farming that is less intensive, it does mean that there may be steps that can be taken to make farming across SW Ontario more friendly to badgers (and other wildlife), while maintaining profitability for farmers.

So while it's safe to say that things really aren't very good for Ontario badgers, it does appear that the ingredients for conservation might all be there. We just need to figure out the right mix — assuming that's even possible.

Badger Conservation in Ontario

Badger conservation presents some unique challenges as well as opportunities. In many cases, the pros and cons are just two sides of the same coin. So what might badger conservation in Ontario look like? What strategies can we use to ensure that we keep them on Ontario? Some of the challenges of badger conservation are also the opportunities. One thing thing seems clear is that badgers can only be conserved through the participation of

Badgers occur across much of North America and into northern Mexico. They are most common in the western part of the continent and reach the eastern end of their range here in Ontario. There are four subspecies that are separated by slight physiological differences. The jacksoni subspecies is found here in Ontario and there are also two other subspecies in Canada: taxus (which is found on the prairies) and the jeffersonii subspecies (which is endangered in BC). The berlandieri subspecies is the most southern and does not enter into Canada.

Badgers in Ontario are mostly restricted to the most southwestern portion of the province, where there is an estimated population of fewer than 200 badgers. Norfolk and surrounding counties are where most recent sightings have come from, though badgers can turn up in surprising locations. Dispersing juveniles in particular can move extremely far from where they were born. There have also been reports of badgers in the Bruce-Grey region, as well as in the northwestern part close to the Minnesota border.

Where they are found, badgers appear to prefer sandy soils and open habitat, such as meadows, prairies, and the edges of fields and forests. In Ontario, we have no large unbroken areas of open prairie, though the grassy and weedy edges of fields can be common in certain agricultural areas. Badgers have also been known to make use of other habitats occasionally - even forests. The relationship between badgers and the various habitats that are available is poorly understood, making filling in those knowledge gaps one of the primary objectives of this project.

What can you do?