Burrowing badgers halt train services in the Netherlands
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Source: The Guardian
Leaves on the tracks, signal failures and strikes can all cause train delay headaches, but commuters in the Netherlands are facing railway havoc caused by badgers burrowing under the lines, with authorities struggling to tempt the protected animals out.
In the densely populated country, there is limited natural space for the country’s 7,000 badgers. They often dig out their homes, or setts, under relatively “quiet” train embankments, which are ideally situated away from people and also slightly raised, which prevents the sett from flooding.
The Netherlands has recently reported 40 locations where the railway track is potentially compromised. In Friesland, rail network manager ProRail is building an artificial sett to tempt the protected species to a safer spot.
“The area around the track is clearly an attractive environment for badgers because the embankment is made from sand, where badgers love to build their setts,” ProRail spokesperson Aldert Baas told the Guardian.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/22/burrowing-badgers-stop-train-services-netherlands
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