0:00:14 > 0:00:16Deep in this Devon valley
0:00:16 > 0:00:19lives one of the best-loved wild animals in Britain.
0:00:24 > 0:00:29There are over 300,000 of them living across the country,
0:00:29 > 0:00:34yet surprisingly few people have ever seen a badger alive.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Even for scientists, much of their life remains a mystery.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Now, using cameras hidden underground,
0:00:56 > 0:01:02we can, for the first time, paint a picture of what life must be like
0:01:02 > 0:01:04for a family of Devon badgers.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Badgers have lived in valleys like this
0:01:29 > 0:01:34since the end of the last ice age, long before people settled here.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39In those days, the landscape was covered in trees
0:01:39 > 0:01:42and so woodland wildlife prospered.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50More than half the badger's diet consists of earthworms,
0:01:50 > 0:01:55so deep, rich Devon soils make this a particularly good place to live.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05But what is good for badgers is also good for people.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07As ancient wood gave way to farmland,
0:02:07 > 0:02:12the valley was transformed, suiting badgers even better.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18Badger trails still criss-cross the land, but now they mark fields
0:02:18 > 0:02:21rather than forest.
0:02:21 > 0:02:27Nowadays, they snag themselves on fencing, not just twigs.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35Many of their paths may have been used since Roman times.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39But all trails still lead back to the remnants of ancient wood
0:02:39 > 0:02:42that's survived where it's too steep to plough.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53This is the badger's refuge from the modern world.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56It's where they live, as they have always done.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04The old boar is the dominant male of this group,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06which includes a couple of younger males,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10a dominant sow and three other females.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Until now, we've known little about their home.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Not much to see on the surface,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25just a scattering of holes and heaps of soil.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28But down below, they dig a labyrinth,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32an underground bunker that's been key to their success.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36Three storeys deep, extending over 60 metres of woodland,
0:03:36 > 0:03:40with 300 metres of tunnels and chambers.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Over centuries, they've shifted hundreds of tonnes of soil,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46as the sett has expanded and contracted
0:03:46 > 0:03:49in line with the family's fortunes.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Most of a badger's life is spent down here.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04So this is a privileged glimpse into a secret world.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22PAWS PATTER
0:04:24 > 0:04:27By March, in the deepest part of the sett,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30the dominant sow has already given birth.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Three cubs are common in a litter,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40but not all may survive to emerge above ground.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51These cubs are now just five weeks old
0:04:51 > 0:04:53and their eyes are beginning to open.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Already, they wear the distinctive stripe of their kind.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Their first year will be the most dangerous, as they leave the safety
0:05:10 > 0:05:14of their sett and venture into the woods and fields beyond.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21A great house has dominated this Devon valley
0:05:21 > 0:05:26for over 1,000 years, and perhaps long before.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29The original Anglo-Saxon settlement mentioned in the Domesday Book,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33was given to a soldier in William's conquering army.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37At that time, the badger was known as brock,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40but the new French overlords had their own name.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45In France, the badger was known as "the digger", le becheur.
0:05:53 > 0:05:59In 1228, the valley was inherited by a crusader knight,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03who built a church to celebrate his safe return.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06The 13th-century bell has been a familiar sound
0:06:06 > 0:06:10to countless generations of people and badgers.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17But only because they have learned to live in our midst.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Here, one badger family defends a territory of 100 acres or so.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26From hilltop to hilltop, nearly half a mile across.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Once their boundaries were defined by natural features,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34now they're man-made.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36A few hundred metres from the wood,
0:06:36 > 0:06:41the medieval mill pond marks one edge of their foraging area.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49The stream, converted into a leat,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53leads to a waterfall where the mill wheel once turned.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55This marks another boundary.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04But the most dangerous part of their territory...
0:07:04 > 0:07:06is this.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Increasing traffic, even along country lanes,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12puts them at risk every night.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Which is why only in the quietest places, like this,
0:07:16 > 0:07:17do they emerge before dark.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24With the cubs safe below ground, the adults set off on well-worn trails,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28night after night, leading to their favourite feeding places.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38These badgers have an advantage.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42The owners of the farmhouse not far from their sett provide them
0:07:42 > 0:07:46with the first course of their evening meal. Peanuts.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Throughout history, different people have
0:07:57 > 0:08:00seen badgers in different lights.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Many people love them, a few loathe them.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06In the classic story of Wind In The Willows,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Badger was portrayed as wise and kind.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Yet among countrymen, they're often blamed
0:08:12 > 0:08:16for all manner of destruction and disease.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20The truth is, that while badgers dig holes where people don't want them
0:08:20 > 0:08:23and damage crops in pursuit of a meal,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26they're shy and avoid human contact.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29While the latest scientific research reveals
0:08:29 > 0:08:33that they're not the principal cause of Bovine TB,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35the fact they can carry the disease
0:08:35 > 0:08:38still fuels calls for a country-wide cull.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43They were once relentlessly persecuted for sport,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46dug out and baited by dogs.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Now they're protected by law.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00At seven weeks old, their mother can leave the cubs
0:09:00 > 0:09:04for a short while, so she can forage close to the sett.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08They will remain here in the dark for another two months.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14BUZZARD CALLS
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Outside, the days are getting longer,
0:09:17 > 0:09:21and other woodland animals are getting down to business.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Buzzards defend the woods from their rivals.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27CROW CAWS
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Underground, by late afternoon,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38young male badgers are already awake.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41THEY CHATTER
0:09:46 > 0:09:52Wrestling has a purpose, sorting out dominance within the social group.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Only the strongest will win the right to mate.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Female badgers usually come into season
0:10:04 > 0:10:07shortly after their cubs were born in February.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Spring is peak time for mating,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21but it can continue well into autumn.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56The dominant boar usually fathers the most cubs.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Life at the top is not easy.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07Challenges from younger males can come
0:11:07 > 0:11:10from within the family or outside.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14An intruding male has ventured into the territory.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18His scent marks him out as a stranger.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Females with young will be especially nervous.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26A new dominant male might kill any cubs in the sett.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30The old boar is quickly onto him.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32THEY CHATTER
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Fights seldom last long, but they can be vicious.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50This old boar has fought many battles
0:11:50 > 0:11:52and has the scars to prove it.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07By the end of March, most animals are getting ready for a new brood.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18The resident tawny owl's hard work has already begun.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34Some creatures cut corners when it comes to raising a family.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Foxes are lazy diggers.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39An abandoned entrance on the fringe of the badger sett
0:12:39 > 0:12:43provides a ready-made den.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Fox cubs are born around the same time as badgers.
0:12:46 > 0:12:52Their relationship varies from tolerance to open aggression.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Both are known to have killed each other's cubs,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57yet sometimes they've been seen playing together.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Badgers usually avoid the fox's den,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04perhaps disliking their strong smell.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Wood mice live closer.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18Perhaps being safe from owls outweighs the risk from badgers.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28The badger cubs are growing fast on their mother's milk,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30safe underground.
0:13:33 > 0:13:40Once, wolves and bears were their only enemy, now it's man.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Despite being protected, every year, people still kill
0:13:44 > 0:13:47a quarter of all badgers.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Especially in spring.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56Badgers have learned to cross roads at the quietest times.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01But in late March, when the clocks go forward, they get caught out.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03And their death rate can double.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15If a mother dies, so too will her young cubs.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36A dry spring puts badgers under extra pressure.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Worms will be in short supply.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Ploughing helps, but there is competition for the worms.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Mistle thrush chicks eat nothing
0:14:50 > 0:14:52else at this time of the year.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06Dawn is getting earlier, the sun growing stronger,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09and the woods burst into life.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Wild garlic, also known as "ramsons",
0:15:14 > 0:15:16carpet the copse above the pond,
0:15:16 > 0:15:20filling the valley with their pungent smell.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39On the other side of the valley, in the badger woods,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41bluebells provide the backdrop.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51BEE BUZZES
0:16:03 > 0:16:06As days get longer, nights get shorter.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Less time for badgers to feed, and so they're eager to get out,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12especially when the weather is dry.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20It's just as well that April brings showers.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Badgers welcome rain.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Worms come to the surface in wet weather and so are easier to find.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43And their thick coats will keep them warm and dry.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Badgers are easily spooked...
0:16:50 > 0:16:52DOG BARKS
0:16:52 > 0:16:56..partly because their eyesight is so poor.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Below ground, their world is one of total darkness.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Although we can see them, they must rely on touch and smell.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Grooming and sniffing
0:17:06 > 0:17:10helps them identify each other and binds the group together.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Badgers keep their homes very clean.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29They even make their beds.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Rolling up their bedding like this has never been seen before.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Maybe they're drying it out, which will reduce parasites
0:17:37 > 0:17:38and make the hay last longer.
0:17:46 > 0:17:52By early May, the females are starting to wean their cubs.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54But one youngster is still determined
0:17:54 > 0:17:58to get at its mother's milk, even upside down.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08Now it's time for all the cubs to leave the safety of the sett
0:18:08 > 0:18:12and emerge above ground for the first time.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21All three cubs have survived so far.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27This is a big moment in their young lives,
0:18:27 > 0:18:31exposed to the perils of life outside.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33But an exciting one.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Although it's an anxious time for parents,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49cubs soon get a taste for their new-found freedom.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59It will be another month before they venture beyond the woods.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16The explosion of early-summer blossom in the valley
0:19:16 > 0:19:19is a hint of the bounty to come.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24Wild cherry trees mark the badgers' territorial boundary
0:19:24 > 0:19:26alongside the old mill pond.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Elder flowers are also common alongside their trails
0:19:38 > 0:19:40and around their setts.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48And the orchard is blooming too.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10Later in the year, apples, cherries and elderberries will feature large
0:20:10 > 0:20:16on the badger's menu, but right now, badger cubs must learn their way
0:20:16 > 0:20:18around the family plot.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22And that means following mother closely.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Their movements don't go unnoticed.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43Young tawny owls soon learn that badgers can disturb mice and voles.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52It's not easy keeping track of mum.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57The cub's sensitive nose is being bombarded by many new smells.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01If it loses its way, it must retrace its steps,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05identify its mother's trail, then just follow its nose.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17Scent is vital to a badger's survival.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25How to tell friend from foe
0:21:25 > 0:21:28is a skill a cub will need to master quickly.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34They scent-mark frequently.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38A gland at the base of the tail produces a musky odour
0:21:38 > 0:21:40that's unique to this family.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43It's how they identify each other and,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46when they deposit dung in latrines along their boundary lines,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50it's how they give their territory a special stamp.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08There's lots to learn. And even near the sett,
0:22:08 > 0:22:12a youngster's natural curiosity can lead it astray.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28MANY CROWS CAW
0:22:28 > 0:22:33The wood can be a scary place for a cub on its own.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Badgers bristle when excited or anxious.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41It helps them look big and brave.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Discovering a family trail,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07the cub eventually finds its way back to the sett.
0:23:13 > 0:23:19Home, but still alone, the cub searches for its mother.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Her scent lingers,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27but she has gone.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48While the cub was away,
0:23:48 > 0:23:53the family left the woods to forage for worms in the fields beyond.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Badgers feel safest on the darkest nights,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00and will then venture far from the cover of trees to feed.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07The cub is still searching the empty sett.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Badgers are wary if they discover anything new
0:24:13 > 0:24:15and surprisingly nervous.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22This one may never have encountered a big pheasant feeding after dark.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24It's unusual.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29SNORING
0:24:30 > 0:24:37Back at the sett, the search has proved exhausting for the lone cub.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00In the early hours, the family makes a noisy return.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04It must be a great relief to the cub.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Such scenes of large, tight-knit family groups
0:25:14 > 0:25:16are found nowhere else in the world.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Outside the British Isles, from France to Japan,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22badgers live a more solitary life.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46Midsummer - the longest days of the year.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26It's a busy time for farmers.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30For badgers, the hours spent underground,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34waiting for the short period of dark when they can find food,
0:26:34 > 0:26:36must seem endless.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40Awake early, there's not much they can do,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44but there's nothing a badger likes better than a really good scratch.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Hay-making is a bonus for some wildlife.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38For the resident kestrel, mice and voles will be easier to find.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49It's a golden opportunity for the badgers.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Short grass will make it easier for them to find worms.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58And sometimes they harvest hay before the farmer.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Collecting it into a ball,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11they drag the dried grass backwards, sometimes over hundreds of metres.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32The fresh bedding must be brought in before dark,
0:28:32 > 0:28:36otherwise heavy dew will dampen the grass.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Manoeuvring bundles of hay in the darkness can't be easy.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54As the heat of day fades,
0:28:54 > 0:28:56fox cubs enjoy themselves,
0:28:56 > 0:28:59sharpening the skills they'll need to survive.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12And they're not the only ones.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20On June evenings, young badgers often emerge to play,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23well before more timid adults appear.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49Back in the sett, they're restless.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52After 18 hours underground,
0:29:52 > 0:29:56young males get hungry, thirsty and irritable.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16The old boar makes better use of the time.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19He mates with any female he can find.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31They've been awake for hours.
0:30:31 > 0:30:36Finally, past 10 o'clock, it's dark enough for them to get out and feed.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51But this year, they have a problem.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56The shortest nights have coincided with the driest weather.
0:30:56 > 0:31:02After weeks without rain, the ground is baked hard and worms are scarce.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07For the young cubs, this is a critical time.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11If the drought continues, starvation is a real threat.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20They're forced into eating the least appetising food - slugs.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38In hot weather, slugs will leave the ground
0:31:38 > 0:31:40and hide in the crevices of trees.
0:31:42 > 0:31:47Finding them can sometimes take badgers to new heights.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59They're surprisingly agile when they're young.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18When worms are scarce, badgers will also eat small mammals,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21the eggs of ground-nesting birds,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24roots, bulbs, cereals and beetles.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Their ability to survive on such a wide variety of food
0:32:29 > 0:32:33is another of their key strengths. WASPS DRONE
0:32:33 > 0:32:37Few creatures dare tackle wasps.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40It's not the adults they're after, it's the grubs.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Getting at their underground nest is a painful business
0:32:43 > 0:32:46and a badger must endure many stings.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Eventually, the wasps win.
0:32:53 > 0:32:58But wasp grubs are an important food in dry weather, so she'll be back.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09At times like this, the free food available
0:33:09 > 0:33:13at the farmhouse is a real bonus.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16This is also one of the few occasions
0:33:16 > 0:33:20when badgers and foxes compete for a meal.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Usually they just avoid each other.
0:33:39 > 0:33:44The fox cub seems confident enough - until it's outnumbered.
0:33:56 > 0:34:02The tactic to get the most peanuts seems simply to lie on top of them,
0:34:02 > 0:34:03and then shuffle backwards.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12Rain has not fallen for over a month,
0:34:12 > 0:34:16but the valley stream is still running...just.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26In late August, the weather finally breaks.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29THUNDER RUMBLES
0:34:46 > 0:34:50At least the badgers have a safe retreat from the storm.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53And a youngster can cover its ears.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07It's an opportunity for the old boar
0:35:07 > 0:35:10to teach the male cub a trick or two.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44But the cub is now old enough to give as good as he gets.
0:36:02 > 0:36:08At long last, the fruits of summer are beginning to ripen.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Tasty wild cherries.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15Juicy elderberries.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23And badgers love blackberries.
0:36:27 > 0:36:32This is why blackberries disappear low down in the hedge first.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03For months, the badgers' evening trail
0:37:03 > 0:37:06has taken them through the orchard.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10Now, the windfall begins.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35While badgers are known to have a taste for apples,
0:37:35 > 0:37:39this is the first time they have been caught carrying them home.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49Blackberry and apple -
0:37:49 > 0:37:52life can't be bad for badgers at this season.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19Down by the mill pond, the wild cherries are also falling.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31This glut of good food is essential.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35Badgers will eat all they can before the cold weather sets in.
0:38:52 > 0:38:57A chill wind is a reminder that summer is now over.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22It's been a good year for the badgers here.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24The family has done well.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27While all three cubs are now independent,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30the smallest still remains close to its mother.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43Autumn is also the last chance for the dominant boar
0:39:43 > 0:39:46to mate with one of the other females.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08The first gale of the season sweeps through the valley,
0:40:08 > 0:40:12stripping the leaves, and the last nuts and berries from the trees.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27Dusk is getting earlier. And in the wake of the wind
0:40:27 > 0:40:31the badgers know there will be rich pickings in the wood.
0:40:31 > 0:40:37But people increasingly intrude into the tranquillity of rural life.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41DULL BANG Badgers are shy, nervous creatures.
0:40:41 > 0:40:46Just imagine emerging from your home into a battle ground.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08At least badgers have somewhere to hide.
0:41:08 > 0:41:13Their bunker is a safe retreat from a noisy modern world.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21They will spend more time down here as the winter months draw in.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43In freezing weather, those all-important worms are,
0:41:43 > 0:41:47once again, difficult to find.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00But they have fed well over the last few months
0:42:00 > 0:42:02and are now at their maximum weight.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Badgers don't hibernate.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15But while large males may continue to forage,
0:42:15 > 0:42:17the females become increasingly sleepy,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20surviving on their stored fat.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28The turn of the year is an important time for badgers.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49While people celebrate the start of Christmas,
0:42:49 > 0:42:52most badgers are fast asleep.
0:42:52 > 0:42:57Yet this is possibly the most remarkable time of their year.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01The embryos that each female carries
0:43:01 > 0:43:05have been in suspended animation for months.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Conceived at different times, each may have a different father,
0:43:09 > 0:43:12but only now do they all begin to develop.
0:43:20 > 0:43:26Around seven weeks later, all the cubs are born at the same time.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Is this the real secret of the badger's success?
0:43:29 > 0:43:32Genetically varied, yet born together,
0:43:32 > 0:43:35they stand a better chance of survival.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48Now the dominant sow has a new family,
0:43:48 > 0:43:52the future of her year-old son will soon be decided.
0:43:54 > 0:43:58As winter gives way to spring, the fights for dominance begin.
0:43:58 > 0:44:03Last autumn they play-fought, now it's deadly serious.
0:44:10 > 0:44:15Although mature, a youngster stands little chance against an older boar.
0:45:08 > 0:45:13The young male has no alternative - now he must leave home.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19He might dig a new hole on the edge of the family sett,
0:45:19 > 0:45:21or be forced to leave the valley.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26Only one of the three cubs born last year
0:45:26 > 0:45:28is likely to see a second summer.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41Year on year, the valley shapes their lives,
0:45:41 > 0:45:44yet badgers also help shape the nature of this valley,
0:45:44 > 0:45:49perhaps adding to the abundance of Devon's county flower.
0:45:49 > 0:45:55As they scrape the ground for worms, primroses can spread in their wake.
0:45:56 > 0:46:01Even more dramatic is their influence on wild cherry.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05Cherry seeds don't germinate easily.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08But when eaten and dumped in a badger latrine,
0:46:08 > 0:46:11they find perfect conditions to thrive.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15It still takes weeks of freezing and soaking before they begin to grow.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23So, along the edge of their territory,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25badgers have inadvertently planted
0:46:25 > 0:46:30the magnificent stands of wild cherry found here.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52This remarkable glimpse into the secret world of the badger
0:46:52 > 0:46:56reveals a creature that's survived against all odds.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02Despite centuries of terrible persecution,
0:47:02 > 0:47:05they've outlived bears and wolves.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09Much of the primeval land they foraged is now farmed,
0:47:09 > 0:47:13used for housing, or divided by road and rail.
0:47:25 > 0:47:29Yet there are still undisturbed places, such as this,
0:47:29 > 0:47:32where badgers continue to enjoy their sociable life.
0:47:35 > 0:47:40Nowhere else in the world do badgers live in such large groups,
0:47:40 > 0:47:46exploiting such a varied diet and digging such impressive bunkers.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49Badgers are known to have lived in Britain
0:47:49 > 0:47:52for at least a quarter of a million years,
0:47:52 > 0:47:55long before we intruded into their world.
0:47:56 > 0:48:00If any creature can survive the challenges the future might bring,
0:48:00 > 0:48:03surely, it's the badger.