POPULATION EXPANSION OF THE EUROPEAN BADGER (MELES MELES) IN SW POLAND DURING THE YEARS 1981-2020.

Based on hunting bags records from the years 1981-2020, distribution, numbers and population dynamics of the badger was analysed in in SW Poland (29 358 km2, including 8411 km2 forests). Before 1999, the badger was harvested in SW Poland only occasionally. From 1999 till 2020, there was a steady increase from c. 200 in 1999 to c. 1100 in 2019. This increase in harvesting was a result of a parallel increase in numbers of badgers between 1996 (1000 individuals) to 2013 (c. 6500 individuals). Crude population density of the badger in SW Poland in 2001-2020 was everywhere below 1 ind./1000 ha of the total area. The ecological density, however, ranged from 0.2 to 6.1 ind./100 ha of total wooded area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]