True badger story
Many years ago, I was driving down a lane in Kent that i knew very well, slowed for a corner and saw a lump in the road, i pulled up, in the lights i saw a flicker of an eye in this "lump".. I jump out of the motor and there at my feet a badger, clearly just been hit by a previous car and still just alive..
I had an old blanket in the car so bundled him up in it and put him on the passenger seat.. My plan was to take him to a local stables where i knew them very well, and ask about a vet or whatever, assuming the badger didn't die shortly.
Anyway I drive off with my patient, the place was circa 10 mins away..after a few minutes in the warm car, I'm aware of stirring in the seat beside me, seems to be perking up a bit... Good sign anyway, five mins later when nearing my destination, the badger was by now fully conscious and standing up with his front paws on the car door looking out of the window !
Clearly he'd been hit and stunned but otherwise seemed ok on the face of it.. I arrive at the stables and we confer about what to do with him.. We decide to put him in a spare stable overnight with straw bedding and water to drink, and re- appraise in the morning, getting the vet to him if it looks to be necessary.
After a bit of a chat i go and watch him for a while in his temporary "accommodation" by this time he's quite lively and trying to climb up the old brick walls of the stable to get out... After a bit more serious conferring we decide he doesn't appear to have suffered any serious injury, and on balance seems the best plan to release him... obviously we'd never have done so if we had any doubts that he had injuries, the lady who owned the stables was very experienced, over decades, with all types of animal so I'd trust her judgement, this was my impression also.
It was about 10 pm by now, so I quietly opened the stable door and stood away... Or friend had a bit of a sniff round, then trotted off out of the door and down the big field behind the stables.. He looked absolutely fine with a fairly jaunty swagger as he disappeared into the night.
He'd easily be able to back track to where he came from, hopefully going via the farmer's fields rather than the road !
And that's my close encounter with a badger... People say they're savage and will have your fingers off, but this one was happy enough in the car with me it seems, even quite chilled out like a dog or something!
I'm sure he was fine, hope he learned a life lesson about roads and traffic for the future.