Posted by the Animal of the Year team, 31.10.2016
Wolves visited the Salumetsa camera! We can see that this time they simply trotted across the sett and sniffed the birch trunk that seems to be an agreed-upon border post for many forest inhabitants. The badgers themselves as well as raccoon dogs and foxes have squirted on the trunk. The wild boars have also scrubbed themselves against this birch. A pity that the trail camera did not save the next video. It would have been interesting to see if the tree was similarly important for a wolf.
We have not shown anything from the Salumetsa sett for a long time. The badgers have simply abandoned their home temporarily. The raccoon dogs visit here every week and foxes too. But not the badgers. The Salumetsa badgers seem however to be better off as regards property than the Soosaare ones. Very close to the sett there are two smaller burrow systems. Earlier one of them was even occupied in winter. Just at a time when now there are no tracks at the sett provided with camera. Those who have kept up with the news from the badger year will know that badgers sometimes make such arrangements. In summer they move somewhere else. Why not then for winter too. This week a camera was installed at the other burrows. We are waiting to find out if the badgers will move there for the coming winter.
Mother and a youth cleaning themselves of parasites. The Soosaare sett family turned much more social before the arrival of the first snow, they moved together in view of all cameras. They scratched their own furs as well as helped companions to scratch spots where it is difficult to reach by oneself. Before the winter sleep the mutual affectionate feelings between family members must be confirmed.
In this video we see the female badger and the large male scratching each other. It seems that there is still room for leaves in the burrows. The male badger toiled a couple of times with raking. Towards the end of the video the first snow is falling. After a couple of days with a white carpet the badgers did not show themselves as often. We will see what next week brings.
The Soosaare sett was inspected by two roe deer as well. The female in the foreground, the buck a little farther away hidden by trees.
