“What kind of animals do you have in here?” Dad asked.
“A lot of birds – our cleaning technique is used all over the world to help birds caught in oil spills,” Cathy told him. “We get foxes and hedgehogs, too, that have injured themselves, or have eaten something they shouldn’t have. A lot of animals get hurt by the rubbish that people carelessly throw away. Once we had some baby deer that we had to bottle-feed after their mother died. And,” she added with a grin, “we have the occasional badger. Although I’ve never seen one as cute as yours. We think she’s about four months old. She’s going to make a full recovery, thanks to you.” She grinned at Lewis again.
Cathy swiped her card to open the door and led them through to a big room. It was similar to the pens in the animal rescue centre, but here the enclosures were all different shapes and sizes. It was a lot quieter, and Lewis could feel his heart beating so loudly he was sure Dad and Cathy could hear it.
Cathy led them over to a door with a metal shutter at the top. She pulled the shutter open so Lewis and Dad could see through a glass window. There, curled up in a ball, was a tiny black and white shape. Bramble!
Lewis stared at the familiar stripy face in excitement. “Hi, Bramble,” he called softly.
Bramble was sleeping on a soft bed in the corner of her pen, but when she heard Lewis’s voice she lifted up her head and looked straight at him.
Lewis remembered that Ray had said badgers were nocturnal, sleeping all day and waking up at night. “Sorry to wake you up,” Lewis said. Bramble gave a big yawn, showing her teeth and little pink tongue. Then she got up and stretched.
“Here, you can put some food down for her if you like.” Cathy opened the door and gave Lewis a Tupperware box full of peanuts. “Just don’t get too close.”
Lewis crouched down in the doorway and grinned at the baby badger. “Do you want some treats?” he asked. As soon as she saw the peanuts she got up, sniffing curiously. Lewis took a handful of peanuts and gently threw them over to her. Bramble snuffled after them as they fell and gobbled them up one by one. Then she looked up at him like she was asking for more.
“Peanuts are her favourite,” Cathy told him. As the little badger sniffed after more food, Lewis caught a glimpse of the silver staples in her injured back leg. “She’s not limping much at all,” he said.
“No,” Cathy agreed, “she’s healing really well. But it was a deep wound, and if she’d been left in the wild, I don’t know if she’d have been OK. She could have easily caught an infection, or become too weak to look for food.”
“You saved her life, Lewis,” Dad said.
Lewis looked at the little badger as she happily snuffled about, and felt a thrill of pride. “Me, and you, and Ray, and Angelo and his firefighters, and everyone here.”
Dad gave him a proud look.
“Can you take our picture, Dad?” Lewis asked.
“I’ll take it,” Cathy offered. “Then all three of you can be in it.”
“Or would you rather it was just you and Bramble?” Dad asked, glancing at Lewis.
Lewis shook his head. “You should be in it too, Dad,” he said, thinking about everything Dad had done to organize this trip. “Thanks, Cathy.”
“We try not to touch wild animals too much,” Cathy told them. “But if you sit down there I think I can get all three of you in the picture.” Cathy pointed to the doorway. Lewis sat down and Dad squashed in next to him.
Cathy crouched in front of them, angling the camera so she could get Dad and Lewis in the picture, with Bramble in the background.
“Smile, Bramble!” Lewis said.
Bramble gave a huge yawn, then she plonked down on her bum and scratched her ear with her back leg, just like a dog! Then she reached up to sniff at Lewis’s coat with her long stripy nose.
Lewis and Dad laughed and smiled and Cathy clicked the camera again and again.
“You’ve got some lovely photos there,” she told them as she came over. “She really seems to like you,” Cathy grinned. “Do you have any pets?”
“No,” Lewis shook his head, “I haven’t got any.”
“Oh, that’s a shame.” Cathy gave a shrug. “Well, there are lots here that need a good home. There are some that I’d love to take myself, but I’ve already got two dogs, three cats and a parrot!”
Dad and Lewis laughed. Lewis couldn’t imagine having so many pets, but then he guessed anyone who worked at the RSPCA would really love animals. Cathy gave the camera back and Dad and Lewis scrolled through the pictures. There were some brilliant photos of them with Bramble, and the one where she was sniffing Lewis’s coat looked almost like she was giving him a little snuffly kiss!
Lewis hugged the camera to his chest. He knew Bramble had to go back to the wild, but he was so sad he’d never see her again. At least now he had a picture that would last for ever.
“You know, we have regular badger watches in the area where Bramble’s being released,” Cathy said, giving him a handful of leaflets. “So even once she’s back out in the wild you could go and visit her. Badgers are very territorial, so it’s likely that she’ll stay in the same sett all her life. We’ve done some investigating and we think we know which one her sett is. It’s next to a big clearing, only a little way away from the road where you found her. If you come badger watching, I’m sure your guide will point it out.”
“Can I, Dad?” Lewis asked.
“Of course!” Dad agreed.
“That’d be brilliant!” Lewis grinned. “You hear that, Bramble? I’ll see you again after all!”
Bramble looked up at him, her beady eyes bright, then she gave another enormous yawn. Lewis and Dad both laughed.
Lewis bent down and gave her a little wave before Cathy shut the door. “Next time I see you, you’ll be wide awake, back in the woods with all your friends!”
“How was she?” Maddy asked as Lewis and Dad rejoined the group.
“So good!” Lewis said happily. He scrolled through the pictures again to show Maddy.
“She’s gorgeous!” Maddy squealed.
“She’s going back to the wild but I’m going to go badger watching and see her then,” Lewis said excitedly.
“Oh, wow!” Maddy grinned. “That sounds amazing!”
Mrs Swan clapped her hands. “Right, class, it’s almost time to leave, so finish up your lunches and go and say goodbye to your favourite animals!” she smiled.
Lewis had already seen his favourite animal – but there was one that he’d like to see again.
“Come on.” He grabbed Maddy’s arm.
“Lewis, you haven’t had your sandwiches yet!” Dad called as they raced away.
“I’ll eat them on the coach,” Lewis yelled back.
“Half the class are going to go home and beg their parents for a pet,” Dad said to Mrs Swan.
“I know,” she laughed, “the RSPCA should do more school trips – they’d find the perfect families for all their animals to be adopted in no time!”
Lewis dragged Maddy down past all the enclosures until they reached the little black and brown dog.
“Pip!” Lewis called. Pip jumped up and gave a surprised bark, as if he was saying, “You’ve come back!”
Lewis and Maddy grinned as Pip limped over to the door excitedly.
“You should adopt him!” Maddy said. “Pip needs a home and a family, and you need him!”
Lewis looked at Pip and shook his head sadly. It was no good him even thinking about it, Dad would never let him have a pet.
“I’d never be allowed,” he said. “But you’re going to find a good home, Pip, I know it.”
He crouched down and looked into the puppy’s chocolatey-brown eyes. Pip put his head on one side and stared back at him, like he understood every word.
“Bye, Pip,” he said. “I hope the right person comes for
you soon,” Lewis whispered as he turned away.
He and Maddy went back to the coach, and Lewis shrugged off the sadness. Nothing was going to make him sad today. He’d got to see Bramble again and he was going to go badger watching!
Lewis pulled on a dark T-shirt and hopped about in excitement. It was finally time for the badger watch! As soon as he’d told Granddad about the trip, he’d volunteered to go with him. He was really excited about going out in the woods again – and about finally meeting Lewis’s badger.
Lewis looked again at the letter the RSPCA had sent him.
Dear Lewis,
RE: Badger Watch, Friday, 8.00-9.30 p.m.
The night begins at 8 p.m. when there will be a chance to learn a little about our stripy night-time neighbours from our education officer, Jonathan, who will be your guide for the evening.
At dusk, just as it’s starting to get dark, we’ll set off to the badger watching site in Brock Wood.
Badgers have a very good sense of smell so it is best not to wear perfume, aftershave or hairspray, as this might keep the badgers away.
Wear warm clothes as it can get a bit chilly out there and also boots or wellies as the ground may be muddy. Please ensure that your clothes don’t rustle so we can make as little noise as possible!
Be prepared to be still and quiet whilst we wait for the badgers to show.
Happy badger watching!
Lewis put on his coat and flapped his arms to make sure that it wouldn’t rustle too much. He had wellie boots on, and his army trousers which had lots of pockets.
“Have you got your coat on already?” Mum laughed from the doorway. “Granddad’s not even here yet!”
Lewis grinned. “I was just checking that I had everything.”
“Here, take these.” Mum gave him some snacks and a flask.
“Mum, I’m not going on a picnic!” Lewis complained.
“Oh, so you don’t want hot chocolate?” Mum waggled the flask.
“Well…” Lewis mumbled. Hot chocolate was his favourite…
“You might be sitting out in the woods for quite a while and I don’t want you to get cold and hungry,” Mum told him.
“OK, OK,” Lewis said. Mum had made him go to bed early last night as well because she was worried about him being up late. Lewis knew he was going to be so excited that he’d have no problems staying awake!
“Can I take some apple for Bramble?” he asked.
“I don’t think you’re going to be able to feed her,” Mum hesitated.
“I know, but I can leave it for her,” Lewis said. “Please? And peanuts, they’re her favourite.”
“OK,” Mum agreed.
Just then, there was a bark from outside and the doorbell went. “Granddad!” Lewis barrelled down the stairs. “Alfie!”
“You’re early.” Dad appeared out of his office and let them in.
Granddad came in with Alfie trotting behind him. “I couldn’t wait,” Granddad admitted. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”
“Me, too!” Lewis grinned.
“You two are as bad as each other,” Mum laughed.
“Now you’re sure you’ll be OK looking after him?” Granddad asked.
“It’s fine, Dad, I can look after Alfie for one night,” Dad sighed.
“I was talking to Alfie!” Granddad said, winking at Lewis.
Dad sighed.
Lewis stroked the old dog’s ears, and he flopped on to his back, his belly in the air. Lewis stroked his tummy, and Alfie’s tail wagged happily.
“Sorry you can’t come, Alfie,” Lewis said, “but if you were there the badgers wouldn’t come out. You’d probably be scared of them anyway!”
“It’s a nice clear night,” Dad said.
“Just right for badger watching,” Granddad agreed.
“Why don’t you come, Dad?” Lewis asked. “You helped her as much as me. And you organized the visit to the centre.”
Dad hesitated. “Well, I do have some work to do…”
“Oh, work!” Granddad said. “There’s nothing as important as spending time with your boy. I wish I’d been around more when you were Lewis’s age, but I was always away with the Navy. Lewis and I are going to remember this night. What are you going to remember if you sit at home on the computer, eh?”
“I’m going to be home anyway,” Mum said, “and it doesn’t take two of us to look after Alfie…”
“Please, Dad,” Lewis said. “It’ll be father-son time…”
“All right,” Dad agreed. “It would be nice to see Bramble in her natural habitat.”
“Yes!” Lewis cheered. “Now go and find a coat that doesn’t rustle.”
Dad quickly got ready, and Mum gave Lewis some apple and peanuts. Lewis felt the excitement swirl in his tummy as he put everything in his trouser pockets.
Finally it was time to go. Alfie jumped to his feet as Granddad opened the door to leave.
“Stay,” Granddad told him. Alfie gave a soft whine.
“Come on, Alfie,” Mum said. “I’ve got a special snack for you in the kitchen.” She held up a doggy treat, and Alfie gave an excited bark.
While Alfie rushed into the kitchen to enjoy his snack, Lewis, Dad and Granddad sneaked out of the front door.
Granddad put the radio on as he drove. It was just getting dark on the country roads, and the sky was streaked with pink as the sun set.
“Dusk is the funny time of day when it’s just getting dark,” Granddad explained to Lewis. “Lots of nocturnal animals come out now to look for food. It might be dinner time for us, but it’s breakfast for them!”
Lewis stared out of the window as they drove along the seaside and up to Brock Wood. He’d been there lots of times on walks with Granddad and Alfie, and with Mum and Maddy on their bikes, but it all seemed different in the evening light. It was mysterious, and completely magical.
“The woods look different in the dark, don’t they?” Dad said, echoing his thoughts.
There was a small group waiting at the entrance to the woods as they parked the car. “Welcome to the badger watching!” a tall man said in a low voice. “I’m Jonathan, and I’m going to try and help you see some badgers! We’re very lucky tonight because the wind is blowing towards us, so it won’t carry our scent over to the sett. And it’s not raining! Not that the badgers mind the wet, but it’s not as much fun for us,” he said with a grin. “The conditions are looking good, so I think there’s a strong chance we’ll see some badgers tonight.”
Lewis felt a thrill of excitement.
“We’re looking out for one badger in particular today,” Jonathan told the crowd. “A young female cub called Bramble. She had a nasty accident recently, but she was rescued by one of our watchers, Lewis.”
Jonathan gestured to Lewis, and Granddad patted him on the back proudly. Lewis felt his face going hot with embarrassment, but he couldn’t help feeling proud.
“Bramble wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for his quick thinking,” Jonathan continued. “Her leg healed nicely, and the RSPCA released her back into the wild last week. She’ll have a lovely life here with all her badger family. We’re going to be watching her sett, so hopefully we’ll see her tonight.”
Jonathan led them into the wood. It was darker under the trees, and Dad brought out a torch so they could follow the warm yellow circle of light. Dad took Granddad’s arm as they crunched through the fallen leaves and stepped over twisted tree trunks and logs. There was the sound of birds singing goodnight, and the smell of woodsmoke in the distance.
Lewis felt like he was in a different world – Bramble’s world.
In a clearing, Jonathan stopped and pointed to a large round hole, next to a mound of earth. When Lewis looked, he could see other holes in the ground nearby.
“Is that it?” Lewis asked i
n amazement. He would never have guessed that the holes were the doors to a badger house.
Jonathan squatted down and pointed to the entrance of the hole. It was neat and tidy, apart from a few bits of dead grass. “See that grass?” he told them in a low voice. “That’s bedding. Inside the den there’s lots of it to make it nice and cosy.”
Jonathan threw a piece of grass in the air to double-check the way the wind was blowing, then showed them all where to sit.
Lewis’s tummy jumped with excitement. Maybe Bramble was down in her sett right now, just waking up!
Jonathan came over to them and helped them find a space where they could see clearly. “We normally have complete quiet while we’re watching the badgers, but if I sit with you I should be able to whisper and tell you a bit more about the badgers as they appear.”
“Oh, thank you,” Dad said.
Jonathan shook his head. “Everyone at the RSPCA was very impressed with Lewis, so this is the least I can do.”
Jonathan got up and gently placed a few piles of peanuts in the middle of clearing, then came back to sit with them.
“Now, we wait,” he said with a grin.
Lewis stared at the hole in the earth. He hardly dared blink in case he missed something. Beside him, Dad rustled as he moved his leg. “Shh!” Lewis whispered.
Lewis sat as still as he could. His eyes got used to the darkness and the noises of the wood, the wind blowing through the trees, shaking the leaves, and the hooting of an owl nearby. They waited and waited, staring at the little hole for so long that Lewis started to wonder if they were waiting in the wrong place.
Suddenly Dad grabbed Lewis’s arm, and pointed to the hole. Lewis snapped his gaze back to it. He couldn’t see anything … but then there was the tip of a snuffly snout, and flash of white. It was a badger!
Slowly, carefully, the badger poked its head out of the hole and sniffed the air. Lewis held his breath. After a long moment, the badger must have decided it was safe to come out, and it shuffled out of the sett. It was much too big to be Lewis’s badger, but it was still incredible to see it out in the wild. It was followed by another smaller badger. Lewis sat up – but it still wasn’t Bramble. Lewis had been sure he’d know her when he saw her, but now he wasn’t so sure. All the badgers looked so similar! One by one they walked into the clearing.
Bad Day for Badger Page 4