Badgers depend heavily on earthworms as their primary food source - understanding their foraging ecology helps explain welfare impacts of habitat change and drought.
Badger welfare is profoundly connected to the health of grassland ecosystems. Drought events that drive earthworms below accessible soil layers leave badger clans without their primary food source, causing welfare stress that can persist for weeks. Land management that maintains high earthworm density - avoiding deep cultivation, retaining permanent pasture, and reducing pesticide use - supports both badger welfare and broader soil health. Climate change is increasing drought frequency, making earthworm-friendly farming more important for badger welfare.