Badgers have been designated as a species of ‘special concern’ in the Prairie provinces

Badgers are common on the Prairies, but a recent federal assessment shows they are vulnerable to the same threats as endangered populations in Ontario and British Columbia.

The American badger is the only badger species found on this continent. These big mustelids — members of mongoose family — Is divided into three populations by Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)Which assesses the risk status of native species and provides recommendations to the federal government.

Advisory panel designated “Kootenay, Prairies and Rainy River” populations – Who This includes badgers in the Prairie provinces as well as parts of south-eastern British Columbia and north-western Ontario — As of “special concern” In December.

The other two populations, located in southwestern Ontario and the BC Interior, are designated as endangered, with COSEWIC estimating that there are fewer than 250 adult badgers in both of those areas.

Professor Chris Johnson of the University of Northern British Columbia, who sits on the COSEWIC terrestrial mammals subcommittee, says badgers are difficult to estimate because of their reclusive nature.

“Most people have never seen one in the wild, yet they face many risks and threats to their persistence in the country,” he said.

The assessment points to habitat loss, vehicle collisions and the killing of badgers by landowners as among the threats facing the species across Canada.

“We know there are real threats to badgers and they need to be managed,” Johnson said. “Otherwise, there’s a risk of them going into one of those other categories.”

COSEWIC’s “Special Concern” designation means that care is needed to prevent a species from becoming endangered or threatened at the federal level.

Vehicle collision is a common cause of badger death.

The government of Alberta runs a wildlife monitoring program that tracks road carcasses in the province each year. According to the latest figures, 112 badger roadkill carcasses were found in 2024.

Seeing badgers on the road – alive and dead – is nothing new to Calgary wildlife biologist and author Chris Fisher.

“We see them hitting the streets quite a bit, and certainly any loss of adults is a huge blow to a population that is considered to be of particular concern,” he said.

Fisher said badgers are attracted to roadsides because it is easier for them to dig burrows in sloping ditches.

The ditches also attract Richardson’s ground squirrels – Colloquially known as Gopher – which are the main prey of badgers.

“The combination of being attracted to a buffet and having a high-speed road right next to it is not a particularly good one,” Fischer said.

Badgers are more active when it’s dark, which means it can be difficult for drivers to see them on the road. They are driven by their incredibly strong sense of smell rather than sight.

“When you’re trying to find your way in life, you don’t smell a lot of semi-trucks coming at you at 100 km/h,” Fisher said.

Habitat loss of ‘ecosystem engineers’

Compared to the vast open habitat available on the Prairies, the endangered southwestern Ontario and BC interior badger populations do not have as much land available, which contributes to their endangered status, Fisher said.

“Apparently, we have a number of vast suburban areas that are expanding into areas that were previously the habitat of American badgers,” he said.

Habitat loss in Canada’s grasslands is considered one of the Most Endangered Ecosystems in the world – is Many species threatened.

This also includes the American badger, described by Fischer as “one of the most important, central, and iconic species of the North American grassland ecosystem.”

“No other modern species of wildlife has had such a large footprint on Alberta’s valleys,” Fischer said. “This has become the face of the wild Canadian grasslands.”

Colleen Cassady St. Clair, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta, says the badger plays an important role in that ecosystem.

St. Clair calls them “ecosystem engineers,” pointing to a 2021 study from the University of Wyoming that found 31 different species using giant burrows dug by badgers.

But not everyone appreciates the environmental impact of badgers.

“Historically, they’ve been persecuted by people everywhere,” St. Clair said. “When people see them in the rural areas they shoot them.”

He said most of the persecution is caused by badger burrows likely to break the legs of horses and other livestock, as well as other damage they cause to farm property.

Badgers have been classified as a vulnerable species by the Government of Alberta since 2000. This means that they are not currently considered to be in danger of extinction in the province, but may require special attention or protection to prevent them from becoming endangered or threatened.

badgers are also considered furbearers In Alberta, that means they can be hunted and trapped.

Landowners may also kill badgers on their property.

Through his work as a wildlife consultant, Fisher identifies opportunities for builders and landowners to protect sensitive species, including placing new construction a certain distance from active badger dens.