In the Prairie regions, badgers are a common sight, but a recent federal evaluation indicates their vulnerability to similar threats faced by endangered populations in Ontario and British Columbia.
The American badger, the sole badger species on this continent, is a large mustelid from the weasel family. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has divided them into three populations. The “Kootenay, Prairies, and Rainy River” population, covering badgers across the Prairie provinces, parts of southeastern British Columbia, and northwestern Ontario, was designated as “special concern” in December. The other two populations in southwestern Ontario and the B.C. Interior are classified as endangered, with estimated populations of fewer than 250 adult badgers in each region.
Chris Johnson, a member of the COSEWIC terrestrial mammals subcommittee from the University of Northern British Columbia, highlighted the challenges in estimating badger numbers due to their elusive nature. Threats to the species across Canada include habitat loss, vehicle collisions, and killings by landowners.
The “special concern” designation by COSEWIC signals the need for preventive measures to avoid the species reaching threatened or endangered statuses at the federal level.
Vehicle collisions are a common cause of badger fatalities, as evidenced by the Alberta Wildlife Watch Program reporting 112 badger roadkill carcasses in 2024. Chris Fisher, a Calgary wildlife biologist, noted the attraction of badgers to roadsides for burrow digging and the presence of Richardson’s ground squirrels, a key prey for badgers, in sloped ditches.
Habitat loss is a significant concern for the endangered badger populations in southwestern Ontario and the B.C. Interior, where urban sprawl encroaches on their habitats. The conservation of Canada’s grasslands, among the most endangered ecosystems globally, is crucial to protecting species like the American badger that play vital roles in the ecosystem.
University of Alberta professor Colleen Cassady St. Clair described badgers as “ecosystem engineers,” citing a study showing various species utilizing badger burrows. However, badgers face persecution due to potential conflicts with livestock and property damage, leading to historical shooting by rural landowners.
Recognized as a sensitive species in Alberta since 2000, badgers are not currently at risk of extinction in the province but may require special management to prevent future threats. They are classified as furbearers in Alberta, allowing hunting and trapping, with landowners permitted to remove badgers from their property.
Efforts are underway to protect badgers, including maintaining safe distances from active badger dens during construction activities to safeguard these sensitive species.