Dog freed by Leicestershire firefighters after being trapped underground for more than 60 hours
Specialist listening and locating equipment was sent to the woods and the unlucky dog was finally freed.
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Dog Freed After 60 Hours
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Couple whose dog was trapped in badger sett delighted after rescue
Winston was trapped in a badger's sett
leicestermercury.co.uk.trem.media
Leicester Fire Brigade rescuers
Rescue efforts were delayed because in UK, badgers' setts are protected by environmental law. This sett was unoccupied.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The entrance to a sett
A sett or set is a badger's den. It usually consists of a network of tunnels and numerous entrances. The largest setts are spacious enough to accommodate 15 or more animals with up to 300 metres (1,000 ft) of tunnels and as many as 40 openings. Such elaborate setts with extensive tunneling take many years for badgers to complete.[1] One sett in Southern England spreads over an estimated area in excess of 2,000 square metres – precise measurement has not been attempted. Another sett, in north-eastern Germany, has been shown to have been in use for over ten thousand years.[2] Setts are typically excavated in soil that is well drained and easy to dig, such as sand, and situated on sloping ground where there is some cover.[3]
Sett tunnels are usually between 0.5 and 2 metres (1+1⁄2 and 6+1⁄2 ft) beneath the ground, and they incorporate larger chambers used for sleeping or rearing young. These chambers are lined with dry bedding material such as grass, straw, dead leaves or bracken. Tunnels are wider than they are high, typically around 30 centimetres (12 in) wide by 25 centimetres (10 in) high, which matches a badger's wide and stocky build.
A "spoil heap" outside a badger sett
The material excavated by the badgers forms large heaps on the slope below the sett. Among this material may be found old bedding material, stones with characteristic heavy scratch-marks, and sometimes even the bones of long-dead badgers cleared out by later generations. Most setts have several active entrances, several more that are used rarely, and some that have fallen into disuse.
Setts are not always excavated entirely in soil. Sometimes they are under the shelter of a shed, or in a pile of timber or rocks. Badgers also excavate them under man-made structures like building foundations, concrete sidewalks, and paved roadways. This can lead to subsidence, and other damage to such structures.
Badger colonies often use several setts: a large main sett in the center of a colony's territory and occupied by most of a colony's members—and one or more smaller outlier setts. Outlier setts may have only two or three entrances and may be used by a small number of colony members when nearby food sources are in season or in autumn when the main sett is crowded with the year's young.
Badgers typically retreat to their setts at daybreak and come out at dusk. In cold regions, setts are dug below the level at which the ground freezes, and all members of the clan sleep in the same chamber, possibly to share body heat.[4]
Sometimes setts or parts of setts that are not being used by badgers are occupied by rabbits or foxes.[1]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The entrance to a sett
A sett or set is a badger's den. It usually consists of a network of tunnels and numerous entrances. The largest setts are spacious enough to accommodate 15 or more animals with up to 300 metres (1,000 ft) of tunnels and as many as 40 openings. Such elaborate setts with extensive tunneling take many years for badgers to complete.[1] One sett in Southern England spreads over an estimated area in excess of 2,000 square metres – precise measurement has not been attempted. Another sett, in north-eastern Germany, has been shown to have been in use for over ten thousand years.[2] Setts are typically excavated in soil that is well drained and easy to dig, such as sand, and situated on sloping ground where there is some cover.[3]
Sett tunnels are usually between 0.5 and 2 metres (1+1⁄2 and 6+1⁄2 ft) beneath the ground, and they incorporate larger chambers used for sleeping or rearing young. These chambers are lined with dry bedding material such as grass, straw, dead leaves or bracken. Tunnels are wider than they are high, typically around 30 centimetres (12 in) wide by 25 centimetres (10 in) high, which matches a badger's wide and stocky build.
A "spoil heap" outside a badger sett
The material excavated by the badgers forms large heaps on the slope below the sett. Among this material may be found old bedding material, stones with characteristic heavy scratch-marks, and sometimes even the bones of long-dead badgers cleared out by later generations. Most setts have several active entrances, several more that are used rarely, and some that have fallen into disuse.
Setts are not always excavated entirely in soil. Sometimes they are under the shelter of a shed, or in a pile of timber or rocks. Badgers also excavate them under man-made structures like building foundations, concrete sidewalks, and paved roadways. This can lead to subsidence, and other damage to such structures.
Badger colonies often use several setts: a large main sett in the center of a colony's territory and occupied by most of a colony's members—and one or more smaller outlier setts. Outlier setts may have only two or three entrances and may be used by a small number of colony members when nearby food sources are in season or in autumn when the main sett is crowded with the year's young.
Badgers typically retreat to their setts at daybreak and come out at dusk. In cold regions, setts are dug below the level at which the ground freezes, and all members of the clan sleep in the same chamber, possibly to share body heat.[4]
Sometimes setts or parts of setts that are not being used by badgers are occupied by rabbits or foxes.[1]
Legal protections[edit]
In the United Kingdom, badger setts are protected from disturbance or destruction under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.Couple whose dog was trapped in badger sett for 60 hours reveal how their torment turned into delight
Winston was trapped in a badger's sett
The moment Winston was freed by firefighters after being trapped for two and a half days.
A couple whose dog was trapped underground for two-and-a-half days have spoken of their torment at being unable to help him.
Winston, a black cocker spaniel from Coalville, crawled into a badger's sett when out for a walk on Saturday February 26 and was unable to free himself free - to the dismay of his owners.
Heather Peake and husband Alex immediately called the fire service after Winston became trapped - but were told nothing could be done for at least 48 hours, because badgers and their setts are protected by law and anyone found harming them or their habitats could be sent to prison for up to 6 months and be slapped with an unlimited fine.
Heather, who is 20 weeks pregnant, said Winston had been sniffing at a bush under a holly tree in Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood when he went missing.
She said: "Winston's a working dog, so it's not strange for him to be off the lead and sniffing at bushes. We'd gone off the tracks but five minutes later I turned around and realised he wasn't behind me.
"I retraced my steps and looked for half an hour before going back to get my husband. Alex looked under the tree and saw the holes, so we realised it was a badger's den.
"We could hear him barking and our hearts just sank. We couldn't do anything."
The dog was badly stuck (Image: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue service)
The couple, who are from the village of Newton Burgoland, near Ibstock, called Leicestershire Fire and Rescue straight away - but were told because Winston had gone into a badger's sett, legally they couldn't do anything yet.
Heather added: "In the end we left about 5pm and then came back around 6.30 to put food and water around all the entrances to the sett."
They were advised to contact the RSPCA, who came out to investigate the next day alongside the Badgers Society and confirmed they would need to wait 48 hours to avoid damaging the habitat if they could.
The dog was trapped in the inactive badger sett for nearly three days (Image: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue service)
The mum-to-be said: "The last time we heard him bark was 7pm on Saturday. We couldn't hear him at all next day, it made us feel sick.
"Our family all turned up with spades ready to dig it up, but legally we couldn't do anything so we were frustrated.
"The law said we had to wait in case Winston came out himself. When they assessed it the sett was active but no evidence of any badgers coming or going - but we still had to wait."
The couple were told an RSPCA officer would need to oversee the dig after the 48 hours were up, but unfortunately due to understaffing an officer wasn't able to come out until Tuesday.
She said: "Monday was a day wasted and we felt like we were gambling with his life. We wanted to do everything by the book but the waiting was unnecessarily prolonging the distress of our dog."
Free at last! The very muddy pooch was eventually rescued (Image: Leicestershire Fire and Rescue service)
However on Tuesday, firefighters and RSPCA officers were on hand ready to find Winston and get him out of the ground.
They used specialist listening and locating devices to find the trapped canine and he was found shortly before 5pm.
Heather said: "From the way he'd gone in and where we found him was completely miles away. He must have tried really hard to get out but luckily he didn't have any physical wounds - he was just really hungry.
"He is doing very well apart from being very weak. He had a lovely bath and a well deserved sleep!
"He's an irreplaceable member of the family."
"We are so so so happy to have our family complete again after this stressful ordeal - it’s definitely one to tell our child in the future!"