Watching badgers, and giving other people the opportunity to see these nocturnal creatures in their natural habitat, is something that Chris Peacock enjoys immensely.

During the summer months, when the evenings are light, groups of up to 15 people meet regularly and are taken to a portacabin in a secret location in Cropton Forest.

A full length window on one side of the cabin allows a perfect view of badgers coming out of their setts. Over the last four years of badger watching, Chris says there has never been an occasion when at least a few of these animals were not sighted. The watch lasts until 10pm, after which the little creatures are allowed their peace and quiet.

The particular set which Chris visits is reckoned to be over 100 years old, and he remembers that he first visited it when he was a young boy of 12. He always had an interest in animals and as a boy he bred pheasants and exhibition budgerigars, and kept rabbits as pets.

His interest in badgers was fired by an uncle and now he knows them so well, some have been given names. The dominant boar he calls the Young Pretender and a cub has been named Dyson, after the vacuum cleaner with its expertise for devouring everything within sight. Another two are called Spot and Ringneck.

The natural life span of a badger is about 15 years, but many die within the first two years. Up to 60,000 are killed on the nation's roads each year, and others die as a result of the cruel practice of badger baiting, which Chris says still exists.

Although a law was passed in 1992 to forbid this, and the penalty for anyone caught carrying out this illegal practice can be a fine of £5,000 or six months in jail, there is evidence of badgers being slaughtered in the most heartless fashion, by shooting, snares, gassing or poisoning.

Some very old setts are undermining the roads where badgers have been using the same passages for centuries, causing danger of collapse. In such cases it is necessary to dig them out and where possible, return the animals to the wild. The trenches are then refilled with concrete to prevent the badgers from returning. Some setts have existed for so many years, and there is even mention of them in the Domesday Book.

Badgers are shy creatures, harmless to people, but can be vicious towards one another when their territorial rights are threatened. As a means of bonding, they mark other members of the group with musk from a gland situated under the tail. Chris, who has also been sprayed with musk, is now recognised by the local badgers and is able to approach within two feet of them.

He says that badgers often have an undeservedly bad reputation. Despite the rumour that they carry TB, Chris confirmed that scientific tests on blood samples taken from road casualties show that there has been no TB in badgers in Yorkshire for the past 40 years.

The National Federation of Badger Groups with its headquarters in London set out to preserve these small animals who so often suffer at the hands of men.

Chris related an amusing story that one winter night just before Christmas he received a phone call from a lady to say that she had seen six men standing around the badger sett. They had been there for some time and it looked like a case of intended badger baiting. Chris got in touch with the police and together they went to arrest the criminals - only to find they were a group of carol singers waiting for the others to arrive!

On another occasion, Chris unfortunately hit and killed a badger on the road and while he was weighing it, taking hair samples etc, in the back of his car, two ladies drove by and congratulated him on doing a splendid job in looking after these shy creatures. As he says, he didn't enlighten her as to the true nature of the incident!

However, we are indeed lucky to have people like Chris Peacock, who spends so much time in preserving animals in their natural habitat.

Updated: 12:07 Thursday, August 16, 2001