The badger population in England and Wales is estimated to be 485,000 – an 88% increase since the 1980s, research shows.

The report – Abundance of badgers (Meles meles) in England and Wales – was published on Nature.com on Tuesday (21 March).

Researchers who carried out a survey of 120 badger setts in England and Wales and they used the findings to calculate figures for both countries.

See also: More effort needed to combat TB, says Defra

“We estimate there are approximately 485,000 (95% confidence intervals 391,000-581,000) in England and Wales,” the report found.

The team said their results were consistent with a “marked increase” in the badger population since the 1980s. A previous study estimated the badger population in the UK in the 1980s was approximately 250,000 badgers.

“The evidence suggests the badger population in England and Wales has increased substantially since the 1980s,” says the report.

“The badger population estimate presented here is almost double the previous estimate for the whole of Great Britain.”

On the one hand, the study authors say the badger is an “icon of conservation”, and as such, is a protected species. But on the other handed badgers “contribute to the persistence of bovine TB in the UK cattle population and are involved in damage to crops, buildings and infrastructure”.

‘Badgers not to blame for TB’ – Dyer

Commenting on the report, Dominic Dyer, chief executive of the Badger Trust, said it was difficult to get a proper estimate of the badger population, which explains why Natural England had often changed their own estimates.

“Whatever the number, this animal is one of the most threatened protected species in Britain,” said Mr Dyer.

“We lose about 50,000 badgers on the road each year. Defra has already culled 15,000 badgers and we could see over 100,000 more culled over the next two to three years.

“We also know landowners and badger baiters have taken the law into their own hands at times.”

He added: “We know that even if badgers have TB they are not necessarily infectious. It’s very difficult for badgers to pass TB to cattle.

“We cannot just count badgers and blame that on TB. It’s leading to an indiscriminate cull, which is not really helpful in getting a long-term solution to TB for farmers.”