Badgers find calm during rail strike

IT'S STRANGE how you link certain things in life and wildlife.

-  ALAN WRIGHT

I was only thinking yesterday that badgers and foxes will be benefitting from a bit of peace and quiet during the rail strike.

To be honest, one of the reasons why these beautiful mammals nest close to our railways is because there isn't much disturbance.

Trains are far less frequent than cars on dangerous roads and these areas are restricted to people other than rail workers.

Rail 'valleys' are kept tidy but they are nicely overgrown in places, making them ideal for our iconic mammals to hide and hunt.

A good friend of mine, who helps to maintain these areas along our railways, said there are parts where badger setts are abundant.

This is encouraging, because generally in the North West we are not seen as a welcoming place for badgers, after centuries of cruel baiting by people who have no regard for these animals or their own dogs.

Railways and former railways have always provided wonderful corridors for wildlife because they are not heavily disturbed.