Badger organizations support ProRail’s wish to relax the rules for badgers on the track. Badger Working Group Brabant and Stichting Das en Boom believe that the same exemption should apply to the railway as to the dikes, where the water boards are allowed to intervene if there are badgers.
According to a spokesperson for the foundation, badgers should not be part of the track and ProRail must be able to take immediate action if this does happen. In this way, damage to the track can be prevented.
Animal-friendly hunting
A spokesperson for Dassenwerkgroep Brabant agrees. He does, however, make it a condition that the railway manager chases away the protected badger in an animal-friendly manner. According to him, this means that regular checks must be carried out so that incipient burrows can be removed immediately.
ProRail presented the 2022 annual report on Tuesday. The company wants an exception for certain rules set by the government. ProRail cannot do everything now because there are rules regarding nitrogen and, for example, badgers that cause damage to railway embankments.
Badger setts near Esch and Vught
The Das en Boom Foundation will soon be meeting with the railway manager to discuss the badgers at the railways. The animals recently caused problems because they dug burrows near the railway in Molkwerum in Friesland and near Esch and Vught. As a result, train traffic came to a standstill.
The badger is a protected species. That is why the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) first had to give permission before ProRail could take measures.