WATCH: Warning to school pupils at Auldearn Primary School in Auldearn near Nairn, after a badger was seen wandering within its grounds
A warning has been issued to parents of pupils attending a local school after a badger was seen wandering within its grounds.
Local farmer Craig Philip was driving past Auldearn Primary School recently when he saw the badger scuttling through the car park and disappearing into a neighbouring garden.
He wants local parents to warn their children that, if they witness a similar sight, they should not approach the animal.
“What worries me is this was in broad daylight and badgers are nocturnal creatures,” he said.
“It was about 1.30pm, I could hear children in the playground and I saw the badger bold as brass running through the car park and then into the garden of my cousin’s house.
“I went into his garden and could see it has been scratching around the vents on the ground outside his house, so it’s obviously hanging around the vicinity of the school.
“We have also found a latrine which the badger uses to mark out its territory and that is beside the BMX track which is within the school grounds.
“I’ve heard other reports locally of a badger being spotted in the village so I went into the school and told a member of staff.”
He added: “Parents need to be made aware.
“Badgers are not the cuddly creatures they are made out to be in kiddies’ TV programmes.
“They are strong and have a bite stronger than any dog.
“I’m not wanting to alarm people but they could take a child’s hand off.
“Kids in the playground may see the badger and think it’s safe to approach it and they could feed it with some titbits.
“But that would be extremely dangerous.”
Mr Philip said he had heard of other instances of a badger being spotted elsewhere in the village.
“One chap was walking his wee terrier in the Glebe at about 10pm when it started barking at something under a car.
“He thought at first it was a cat but they would just run.
“He checked under the car and there was a badger.
“Another lady was walking in the Lethen Wood with her two dogs which, fortunately, were both on a lead. Again it was during the day.
“If they even tried to attack it there would only be one winner.
“There is no breed of dog which has a bite as strong as a badger.”
Mr Philip repeated his fear about the fact that the badger had been seen in daylight and what that might mean.
“This one was fully grown,” he said.
“Maybe something has happened to it and it’s found it necessary to go scavenging in the village.
“But if it’s injured that will make it potentially more dangerous.”
Mr Philip said that when he was a boy, he and his friends often saw badgers on nearby Boath Doocot Hill.
“That’s where you would expect to find them,” he said. “But not in a school car park and playground.”
Former Highland Council convener Sandy Park, who lives in Lethen Road, agreed that children should be warned of the dangers of approaching badgers.
“There’s a lot of badgers’ setts in Russell Wood near the village and there’s certainly an abundance of them around Auldearn,” he said.
“The rose garden in Lethen Road also has clear evidence of badgers digging for worms.
“But one snap of their teeth and they could take your fingers off.
“They are vicious creatures, especially when cornered.
“They would tear a dog to bits and it’s worrying that it has been seen in the grounds of the school.
“I have also heard reports of it being seen in the village and the woman who was walking poodles and was confronted by it in the Lethen Wood was lucky her pets were on a lead and didn’t go for it. It would easily kill them or cause them serious injury.”