If human remains were buried in a woodland spot, at least 4ft deep and the hole at that depth had openings into a badgers sett, would badgers be likely to take the remains into the tunnels of the sett? Questions

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Q. I wanted to ask you if human remains were buried in a woodland spot, at least 4ft deep and the hole at that depth had openings into a badger's sett, would badgers be likely to take the remains into the tunnels of the sett? Do badgers eat carrion? Also do you know if a metal detector would pick up something like a watch or chain 4ft deep and 30-years-old?

Hi,

Badgers ARE Carnivorous and have been known to ‘cache’ food – i.e. to store it underground. Badgers (generally) live underground in burrows called ‘Setts’.

These setts can house colonies of up to a dozen badgers, and can extend as deep as 80 feet underground. Badgers are most common in deciduous wooded habitats, which provide plenty of cover. Hedgerows may also provide adequate cover, but coniferous woodland is rarely suitable.

The diet of the (British) Badger consists largely of earthworms, insects, and grubs. They also eat small mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds as well as cereals, roots and fruit.

In terms of detecting the ‘buried’ metal objects, a very powerful metal detector may be able to detect metal at that depth, even if it has been in the ground for a very long time. (Wartime artefacts are still being recovered regularly.) But if the badgers have taken the (small) artefact(s) much deeper you may be struggling.

However in practical terms it may be more successful to first detect the presence of human remains by using a trained emergency services ‘Sniffer Dog’ and having identified the location to then systematically ‘pattern exhume, search and recover’ the surrounding area.

This is arduous, time consuming and costly work…

I’m always here for you, if you want to tell me more?

Andrew Greenslade M.Ed. - Former Police Detective


	8:00PM The Krays 9:00PM Crime 360: Shots in the Dark 11:00PM Crime and Punishment: Blood on the Staircase Sign up for email updates from The Crime and Investigation Network I accept the T&Cs EXPERTS PROFILE READ PREV QUESTIONS SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION ARTICLES RECENT QUESTIONS Q. I wanted to ask you if human remains were buried in a woodland spot, at least 4ft deep and the hole at that depth had openings into a badger's sett, would badgers be likely to take the remains into the tunnels of the sett? Do badgers eat carrion? Also do you know if a metal detector would pick up something like a watch or chain 4ft deep and 30-years-old? Hi, Badgers ARE Carnivorous and have been known to ‘cache’ food – i.e. to store it underground. Badgers (generally) live underground in burrows called ‘Setts’. These setts can house colonies of up to a dozen badgers, and can extend as deep as 80 feet underground. Badgers are most common in deciduous wooded habitats, which provide plenty of cover. Hedgerows may also provide adequate cover, but coniferous woodland is rarely suitable. The diet of the (British) Badger consists largely of earthworms, insects, and grubs. They also eat small mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds as well as cereals, roots and fruit. In terms of detecting the ‘buried’ metal objects, a very powerful metal detector may be able to detect metal at that depth, even if it has been in the ground for a very long time. (Wartime artefacts are still being recovered regularly.) But if the badgers have taken the (small) artefact(s) much deeper you may be struggling. However in practical terms it may be more successful to first detect the presence of human remains by using a trained emergency services ‘Sniffer Dog’ and having identified the location to then systematically ‘pattern exhume, search and recover’ the surrounding area. This is arduous, time consuming and costly work… I’m always here for you, if you want to tell me more? Andrew Greenslade M.Ed. - Former Police Detective