30 WOODLAND CREATURES 



a wisp of coarse grey fur left on the top of the 

 paling. Somehow or other the female badger 

 had managed to scramble up and force her way 

 through, but it was always a mystery to me how 

 she managed it. One of the farm labourers went 

 so far as to say the wild badgers must have got 

 on the roof of the pigsty and helped her out ! At 

 any rate she eloped with them and left Grumps 

 behind ! 



This female had been sent to me from the south 

 of England, and soon after her arrival, during 

 the first week in February, a feeble squeaking 

 arose from her sleeping compartment. Knowing 

 that the cubs would not live long if interfered 

 with, I padlocked the outer door, and only went 

 in when necessary to give her food and water, 

 but the precautions were in vain. In a few days 

 all became quiet, and when I did venture to look 

 inside not a vestige of a cub was to be seen. 

 She must have eaten them, a fate that so 

 often overtakes babies of the wild when born 

 in captivity. 



Hoping the old lady would settle down better 

 if she had a companion, and possibly mate with 

 him later on, I moved Grumps into the place 

 where she lived, with the result given above. 



There is some doubt as to when wild badgers 

 mate, but my opinion is that September and 

 October is the usual time, the cubs arriving in 

 the following February or March, but there are 

 some well-authenticated cases of female badgers 

 having young after being over twelve months 



