Forester: badger dens in Noord-Brabant deliberately contaminated with suspected poison
White powder believed to be poison has been discovered at multiple badger dens in the Maasheggen nature area between Boxmeer and Vierlingsbeek in Noord-Brabant, according to forester Alwin Brandt. Authorities are continuing to investigate the extent and nature of the contamination, which Brandt has described as an “unprecedented” act and a “targeted attack” on the protected animals, Omroep Brabant reports.
The first discovery was made Friday afternoon around 3 p.m. at a large badger sett near the Maas river in the Vierlingsbeek area. The sett, which has existed for about 30 years, contains an underground tunnel system hundreds of meters long and is home to as many as ten badgers. These animals are typically only active at night.
White powder was found at all 40 entrances to the sett. The substance was placed deep into the tunnels—up to arm’s length—according to Brandt. “It smells like fish,” he said to Omroep Brabant, adding that fish oil was likely added to lure the badgers in. "This is poison. Although that still has to be officially confirmed in a lab," he said Saturday. Initial tests, he said, indicate it is indeed a toxic substance.
Brandt said the timing could not be worse. “It’s breeding season right now, so the badgers all have young,” he said. “This is a targeted attack. I’ve come across small amounts of poison before, but never on this scale. This looks like unrelenting badger hatred.”
By Saturday evening, additional deposits of the same white substance were found at three other badger setts in the region. These include a sett near a potato farmer, one at a tree nursery, and one located on land owned by a private citizen. Brandt said he does not rule out the possibility that more locations have been targeted. Searches for more contaminated areas continued Saturday evening and are expected to resume Sunday.
As of Saturday, no dead badgers had been found, but Brandt emphasized that neither he nor his colleagues can look directly into the tunnel systems. To monitor activity inside the setts, Staatsbosbeheer has installed three cameras near the entrances.
Cleanup efforts are still underway. A special vacuum, typically used to remove drug waste in natural areas, is being used to safely extract the powder. Crews are proceeding cautiously to avoid collapsing the delicate underground tunnel systems. "We have to work very carefully," Brandt said. "Otherwise, the entire sett could cave in."
The powder is currently undergoing further testing in a laboratory. Final results on its exact composition are expected after the Easter weekend. It remains unknown whether any of the badgers have fallen ill or died as a result of ingesting the substance.
