Skip to content

Rescued Essex badgers moved to outdoor home

A group of rescued badgers have finally been introduced into their newly rebuilt outdoor pen after last year's cubs destroyed it.

South Essex Wildlife Hospital said the orphaned animals had to spend longer than expected in their nursery stable as construction was delayed by a "national shed shortage" as more people started working from home.

The new pen features a paddling area, sleeping quarters and tubes which mimic those in the artificial sett they will be moved into when released back into the wild.

The hospital said the young cubs were "constantly on escape attempts" and "chomping at the bit" to get outside.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a wildlife story suggestion or video email [email protected]

1 June 2021

Explore More

BBC reporter, Megan Davies, is central looking at the camera. She in presenting the social video. On her left is are images of a dog and a traditonal fox hunting helmet. On her right is a fox. All three images have been photo edited into the shot rather than placed there. On the table is a coffee insulation cup

Are people still fox hunting?

Bernard and Twinkle the vultures perched on a log, in a cage, looking towards each other

Arthritic vulture reunited with partner after jab

Two dairy cow calves, with black and white patterns, standing in on hay and in a pen.

Cow has four calves in 'one-in-11 million' birth

Two rhinos stand close together in their enclosure, one is an adult and the other is a calf

Rhino calf with feeding issue now stomping around

Beds, Herts & Bucks

Curlew, brown bird with speckled wings, mid-flight

The curlew's return to Lower Lough Erne

Elephants wade through floodwaters at sanctuary

Watch: Elephants escape floodwaters in Thailand

A screen grab from a camera inside an owl nesting box. It shows a mother owl and her four chicks. The mother owl and one of the chicks both have small rodents in their beaks.

A bird's-eye view inside a baby barn owl nest

Northern Ireland

Maddie with the two binmen

Meet the dog brightening up a weekly bin round

Northern Ireland

Gentoo penguin chick standing sideways and looking at the camera with ice and a wall behind it

Penguin chick takes its first swim at aquarium

Hull & East Yorkshire

Thousands of dead fish are seen on the salt marsh beach in Volos, Thessaly, Greece

Thousands of floating dead fish blanket Greek port

A gold and green leopard frog peers out of some leaves

Endangered leopard frogs released into the wild

A bear eats honey off a measuring stick

Watch: Bears tempted with honey into zoo weigh-in

Beds, Herts & Bucks

Two swimmers look at an oarfish on a paddle-board with one man atop the board

Rare ‘doomsday’ oarfish spotted off California coast

Tortoise on a railway track.

Watch: Tortoise spotted walking on railway tracks

Cow and man sitting together

What is it like to cuddle a cow?

Stella the cat meows at her front door

Is this London’s most adventurous cat?

A panda is seen on screen

San Diego debuts first giant pandas from China in decades

Dog looking at mattress on fire

Moment dog sparks house fire after chewing power bank

A wildcat snuggling under a tree

Wildcat kitten caught on thermal imaging camera

Cat with jar on head

Police called to save cat with jar stuck on head

Larry Lamb

Larry Lamb teases Gavin and Stacey details

The actor reveals there is a subtle change compared to the last Christmas special.

Virginia McCullough speaking to police

'You caught the bad guy': McCullough confession on police bodycam

Essex Police body cameras show arrest of Lois and John McCullough's daughter for their murder.

Olly Murs speaking into a BBC Essex microphone.

Watch: Olly Murs takes over radio show to reveal gig

The singer borrows the presenter's seat at BBC Essex to announce his biggest ever gig in the county.

Three men carrying machetes in the street in Southend.

Video shows men with machetes fighting in street

The footage shows at least three men brandishing what appears to be machetes.

Det Ch Insp Greg Wood, from Essex Police, talking to the media outside Chelmsford Crown Court

Essex Police thank the US in Holly Willoughby case

Essex Police say the US brought Gavin Plumb to their attention and helped gather evidence.

Gavin Plumb being arrested in his home by Essex Police

Willoughby kidnap trial shown footage of arrest

The defendant denies soliciting murder, inciting kidnap and inciting rape of the TV presenter.

A horse runs down an open road

Horse loose on main road returned to paddock

A witness says the animal appearing on the road left her shocked and scared.

Chelmsford election debate.

Watch: Chelmsford's MP candidates debate key issues

Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green politicians discuss crime, immigration and the NHS.

Blonde badger on black and white camera

'Rare' blonde badger spotted in countryside

A wildlife charity says spotting the animal is "one in 10,000".

Man being arrested in Saffron Walden town centre

Watch: Public help officer arrest jewellery thief

Police thank members of the public who help them apprehend a jewellery thief in an Essex town.

Man opens a bottle of Prosecco at a bar.

Man 'eats cake and drinks prosecco' during pub raid

Video shows him heading to the terrace to consume his finds and ripping a till from behind the bar.

Flooded street in Essex

Watch: Street and drives submerged by floodwater

A fire service says it dealt with more than 70 incidents in 16 hours after persistent heavy rain

Smoke and flames rise into the air from a building fire.

Watch: Flames and smoke engulf former restaurant

Video shows firefighters tackling the blaze at a building partially destroyed by fire in 2022.

A robin chirping in a garden centre.

Watch: Robin sings to garden centre customers

Robbie the robin has been flying in through the automatic doors every day for five months.

Smoke pouring out of a two-storey on an industrial estate in Saffron Walden as firefighters spray water on to the flames.

Watch: Smoke plume rises from industrial unit fire

Drone video footage shows the extent of the blaze as firefighters use hoses to tackle it.

Police bodycam footage of Luke D'Wit outside the house Stephen and Carol Baxter.

Watch: Footage that led to 'nerdy' killer's arrest

Video shows Luke D'Wit talking to police outside the home of a couple he drugged with fentanyl.

Red squirrel.

'Red squirrels in my garden are better than TV'

A man says he has regularly filmed red squirrels in his garden since they were reintroduced.

Luke D'Wit as police arrest him on suspicion of double murder.

The moment a suspected double murderer is arrested

Police bodycam footage shows Luke D'Wit sitting at a desk as police read him his rights.

Luke D'Wit, accused of murdering Stephen and Carol Baxter, speaking to police.

Poisoning murder suspect 'practises false identity'

Prosecutors release a recording which they say features the defendant impersonating a woman.

A stranded driver is helped from his car.

Watch: Driving instructor rescued from floodwater

He is helped by a film-maker who shares video online of him coming to the aid of stranded drivers.