THE speaker at the May meeting was Jack Reedy, chairman of the Warwickshire Badger Group. Illustrated with slides, his talk on "Brock the Badger" was excellent. He covered everything from their physical attributes, all perfectly adapted to their way of life, their fastidious habits, their food, habitat and breeding, to, inevitably, their links with tuberculosis in the countryside.

The name Brock comes from an old Saxon word for "grey". The male is a "boar" and the female a "sow", probably from their resemblance, when snuffling for food, to the wild boar.

One should never be tempted to put a hand down a badger hole or indeed try to approach a badger, as their bite is very fierce. When threatened, they back into a corner and use their bite in defence with devastating results.

Sadly, the so-called "sport" of badger baiting still goes on, illegally. Badgers are unearthed, caught with badger tongs, tied down and set upon by dogs. Spectators bet on which dog will finally kill the badger. These men are just as fierce as the badgers, and it is dangerous to challenge them. Information should be passed to the police to take action.

Left alone, badgers are gentle creatures and a great asset to our countryside. Anyone needing help or advice about badgers on their land will find their local Badger Group very understanding and helpful.

The next meeting is an evening visit to the Collegiate church of St Mary, Warwick, on Tuesday, July 19.

Please let the group know via any committee member, or call Diane on 764371 if you wish to join us as we must notify the church guides of expected numbers.