The Badger Project began as a research project.  Beekeepers were approached and asked to assist gathering data regarding data for a doctoral thesis by Colleen Begg. While visiting bee sites and gathering data regarding badger movement and damage to beehives it became clear to the researchers that some beekeepers were brutally killing this protected species. 

The most objectionable method was the gin trap, which cruelly trapped the badgers by the legs incurring terrible suffering and pain.

WWF undertook a project to advertise beekeepers that did not kill badgers and promote this on their honey bottles.  This was done in conjunction with SABIO and organized beekeeping in South Africa. The solution has become a major indicator of Good Agricultural Practice amongst and has received excellent consumer support. WF still sponsors the accreditation of beekeepers and sells the badger friendly stickers to local beekeepers who use alternative ways of managing the Badger problem.

The most effective way of protecting hives is to raise them from the ground or to strap them with steel straps preventing badgers from breaking open the hives.  This project is often cited as an example of organized agriculture and conservation being able to find a solution to a clash of interest in the field.

www.honeybadger.com