Posted by the Animal of the Year team, 22.08.2016 

There was some excitement on starting to check the records of last week from the Soosaare badger sett. During  the first observation week it had become clear that one badger definitely lived there. Now however we can say that they are at least three. The camera had also recorded a happy afternoon when they were chasing each other above and under ground between 7 and 8 o’clock. One of the rompers, the most active chaser, seems younger. Probably this year’s offspring. The other playmate is a little sturdier but seems youngish too. More will surely be revealed in the coming weeks.

The video at 1:20 shows that if you are happy and your body is full of fun, saltos on one’s own can be attempted too. 

Romping done, it was time to groom the coat. When the coat was in order a little digging task waited at the burrow opening. Or was it time to put the room that had been turned out of order in proper state again?

Badgers, and Mustelidae (weasel family) animals in general, are playful creatures. The playfulness also shows that there is enough food and that diseases don’t do any major damage 

At Salumetsa sett life goes on too. By now in two weeks already the badger has been caught in camera view, walking across the sett. Entering a burrow we haven’t managed to see yet. In the video from this week we however see him marking the burrow entrance. A good sign! The neighbours have to know who has done all the work and is the master now.  In the second half of the video young raccoon dogs cautiously inspect the scent marking, half a night-and-day old. It tells its story and makes cautious.