Shaynee Modien
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Shaunavon Standard
Badgers, the “elusive” predators of the Canadian Prairies, continue to be a subject of interest for further research.
Beatriz Prieto, along with the Ministry of the Environment, is building on a previous badger study and a similar, larger predator review in south Saskatchewan.
In 2024, a major badger study was conducted, and the research on these carnivorous animals revealed that badgers continue to be very elusive, prompting the need for more research ideas. As a result, a portion of the study program was extended into 2025.
Badgers are known to be challenging to study due to their large home range and solitary lifestyle. To overcome this, trail cameras were set up in the southwest, including in the Shaunavon area, to capture images of these burrowing animals and other predators in the region.
The previous year’s study involved Ministry of Environment researchers driving approximately 500 kilometers across the Southwest region, resulting in 26 sightings, which equated to about one badger every 38 kilometers.
However, the researchers hope that the trail cameras, positioned in commonly used wildlife areas, will provide a more comprehensive picture of the badgers.
According to Beatriz, “All the driving doesn’t give you the bigger picture of how they’re doing, because they’re really hard to find during the day, so we know that we missed a lot.”
She adds that local communities have reported a healthy badger population, with residents saying “there are enough badgers out there that they’re not in trouble or anything.”
Nevertheless, badgers continue to be listed as a “special concern,” meaning they are at the start of the watch list.
While the trail camera research is not expected to be finalized until January 2026, local input remains crucial.
If you observe a badger in your area, you can contribute to the research by contacting SKCDC.Data@gov.sk.ca to help gather more data on this vital animal in the prairie ecosystem.
